Patna
For the first time in history, e-sports was featured as a demonstration sport at the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), with host state Bihar leading the way in performance and enthusiasm. Held in Bihar, this event marked a significant step for India’s growing e-sports scene.
Eight states took part in the competition, which included popular games like BGMI, Chess, Street Fighter 6, and eFootball. Bihar showcased its strength in BGMI, with its A and B teams taking first and third places. Tamil Nadu's A team came second.
In the eFootball console event, Tamil Nadu’s Arnav Rajiv Parikh claimed the top spot, followed by Bihar’s Tanav Raj and Maharashtra’s Ronit Sagar Satam. In chess, Bihar players Rupesh B Ramchandra and Amrit Raunak grabbed the top two spots, with Maharashtra’s Mohit Kamlesh Thanvi in third.
Telangana’s Mandalapu Sreejesh won the Street Fighter 6 title. He was followed by Maharashtra’s Parth Swapnil Pawar and Bihar’s Rohit Kumar. In eFootball mobile, Nagaland’s Lamgouhao Kipgen beat Arunachal Pradesh’s Jipin Gongo in the final, while Parth Varekar of Maharashtra finished third.
The event was supported by the Bihar government, Sports Authority of India (SAI), and Federation of Electronic Sports Associations of India (FEAI). FEAI co-founders praised the move, calling it a major boost to youth development and talent scouting in e-sports.
They also believe this initiative will help India prepare for global competitions, including the 2027 e-sports World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
