By Bhupen Goswami
Guwahati : Sports Minister Kiran Rijiju launched the third phase of Khelo India Youth Games in Goahati. It will be organized from January 10 to 22 next year. The third phase will add two additional sports cycling and lawn balls.More than 10 thousand participants from all over the country will participate, in which a total of 451 medals will be contested in 13 days. Apart from Rijiju, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was also present on the occasion. The third stage mascot, sportsmen’s jersey, logo and theme song were also introduced in the program.The 
Top athletes Hima Das, Swapna Burman and Lovlina Borgohain also joined the ceremony, which was attended by a host of dignitaries from the world of sport. “The Khelo India Youth Games is one of the most empowering initiatives of the Indian Government that hopes to not only give a platform to youngsters from all over the country to make a future in sport, but also to build India into a sporting nation,” Rijiju said at the launch ceremony here. “I invite every sports-loving and talented youngster to grab this opportunity and begin his or her journey towards excellence. Playing sport is also a great way to build one’s character and have a fitter body and mind,” he added. The Khelo India Games was launched in 2018 to imbibe a culture of sports in the country. “I am delighted to welcome the Khelo India Youth Games to Assam. The Games will surely inspire all the children in the state as well as the entire North-East region to take up sports and bring glory for themselves, our state and indeed our country,” Sonowal said. Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi have been among the top three in previous editions, with Haryana emerging as the winner in the inaugural year. Around 3,000 promising and talented athletes have already benefited from the Khelo India Scheme, each of them winning a scholarship of Rs 5 lakh per year, Rs 1.2 lakh goes directly to their account, annually for eight years.