Overview
- Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated the festival on February 13 at Chhatrasal Stadium, where a para-athlete march-past opened proceedings.
- Competitions run for a month across major Delhi stadiums, including Chhatrasal, Bawana, Najafgarh, Vikaspuri and Thyagraj, covering seven disciplines such as athletics, football, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, kabaddi and squash.
- More than 16,000 athletes have registered so far, officials are targeting 30,000 participants this edition, and some reports counted over 20,000 at the launch.
- The government said nearly Rs 33 crore in long-pending prize money has been released and detailed a policy offering Rs 7/5/3 crore for Olympic or Paralympic medals plus up to Rs 20 lakh in annual assistance, with added support for student competitors.
- Organisers highlighted a focus on women’s participation and safety, venue assessments for upgrades, and a long-term goal to engage over one lakh grassroots athletes annually.