In a major push to promote grassroots sports, the Basic Education Department of Uttar Pradesh has rolled out a sports calendar for the academic session 2025–26, offering students from classes 6 to 8 a structured platform to showcase their talent in 25 different sports disciplines.
The initiative, part of the ‘Sports for School’ program, will give under-14 boys and girls from government and aided schools the opportunity to participate in competitions from the school level to the state and national levels.
The competitions are set to begin from the second week of July and will continue through August, moving in a phased manner through school, Nyaya Panchayat, block, district, mandal, and state levels. Finalists will be selected to represent the state at the national stage.
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The calendar includes a wide range of sports such as archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, basketball, chess, cricket, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, kabaddi, karate, kho-kho, kurash, mallakhamb, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, wrestling, yogasana, and more.
The move aims to ensure that the sports talent of schoolchildren is no longer confined to the four walls of classrooms, and that children from rural and government schools also get the chance to shine in competitive arenas.
Both the Basic and Secondary Education Departments will collaborate to implement this initiative. To ensure timely and smooth organisation, the Director of Basic Education has issued instructions to all divisional assistant directors and district basic education officers to begin preparations and mobilise participation.
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This calendar is expected to bring thousands of young athletes into the mainstream of organised sports and help identify promising talent from across the state.