700 athletes from Uttarakhand to participate in National Games 2025

Uttarakhand will host the 38th edition of the National Games, set to start on Tuesday, January 28. A total of 700 athletes from the home state will participate in the event, which will run until Friday, February 14.

As per a media release, almost all 700 players have been successfully registered on the official portal of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Uttarakhand Olympic Association chief Mahesh Negi confirmed that quite a few athletes from the home state earned a direct entry to the mega event.

Moreover, with Uttarakhand awarded the hosting rights for the National Games 2025, many players from the state will compete at the level for the first time.

Sharing the details of the preparation for the grand event, Uttarakhand Sports Minister Rekha Arya said that officials had confirmed in a meeting that proper arrangements were made for the participants. The management has worked hard to ensure the best facilities, not just for the players, but also for the support staff.

Golf no longer a part of National Games 2025: Mahesh Negi

Uttarakhand Olympic Association chief Mahesh Negi also confirmed in the same media release that Golf will no longer be a part of the mega event. There was a question mark over the inclusion of four sports in the tournament - Golf, Taekwondo, Beach Handball and Volleyball.

While Golf has been dropped altogether, the respective associations for the other three sports have been asked to finalize players and register for the same within the next three days.

It will be interesting to see which sports eventually make it to the final list. Regardless, fans should expect a strong performance from the Uttarakhand contingent with 700 athletes participating across various sports.