Star Sports bolsters its agenda with strategic pact with Sports Ministry

In a move to foster a comprehensive, multi- sports ecosystem in India, Star Sports partnered with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for the latter’s initiative – Khelo India School Games. 

Khelo India, a one of its kind, category defining, holistic sports development programmed being initiated under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, is already breaking grounds to emerge as a platform for the Indian sports set-up, providing a shot in the arm it has needed for long. 

The inaugural Khelo India School Games 2018 were held the National Capital from January 31 to February 8, which had 3,750+ participants from schools across India. 

Star Sports took on the mantle to produce and broadcast the games across diverse regions of the country. They were also the first private broadcaster to do so. With state-of-the-art broadcasting capabilities, they produced quality coverage for the school games that garnered the parents’ attention and will aspire young minds and to go out and play. 

With a crew of over 100 specialists spread over multiple arenas covering over 70 events, Star Sports delivered 8 hours of live coverage each day across 3 of its channels – Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1HD, and Star Sports First, as well as Hotstar. The highlights of the games were then aired across Star India’s bouquet of channels in the Asia Pacific, UK and continental Europe as well as the Middle East to drive international exposure and recognition for India’s future sporting stars. 

Sanjay Gupta, Managing Director, Star India, while commenting on the broadcaster’s association with the initiative, said, “It is an honour for us to produce Khelo India School Games and reach out to millions via world class broadcast that inspires parents and teachers to encourage their kids to emulate the feats of future stars. Star India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs together intend to realise a vision of making 30 crore children actively participate in sporting activities for an hour, every day.” 

He further added, “With Khelo India, youngsters not only get an opportunity to showcase their skills, but also a chance to get identified early so that they can be fostered and moulded into sporting stars of tomorrow.” 

One such sports star that shone at the Games was Nisar Ahmed, a young sprinter from Delhi. A known name in the domestic circuit, Nisar is considered as a prodigy amongst his peers, someone destined to carry the baton of Indian athletics forward. However, despite his recurrent success at the domestic level, Nisar’s achievements remained enveloped in obscurity until Khelo India School Games propelled him to the glory his feats command. 

Speaking on Nisar’s achievements, Gupta said, “What Nisar has accomplished at such a young age is a testament to the kind of sporting talent we have spanning the length and breadth of our country. All we have needed is a platform that allows such extraordinary youngsters to come forth and express themselves.”