Gujarat Khel Mahakumbh: All Students Being Registered For Event, But How Many Will Actually Take Part?

Registration for the upcoming Khel Mahakumbh has begun in Gujarat, but questions are being raised over the emphasis on online registration numbers, with sources claiming that schools and colleges have been informally asked to register all students for at least one sport.

According to sources familiar with the registration exercise, educational institutions have been given targets, with physical education teachers and coaches reportedly tasked with registering large numbers of students every day.

The exercise has raised concerns within sporting circles over whether online registration figures accurately reflect the number of athletes who actually take part in competitions.

71.30 Lakh Players Registered In Previous Edition

The previous edition, Khel Mahakumbh 3.0, held in 2024-25, featured 39 sports and recorded 71.30 lakh online registrations, according to the information provided.

Sources said meetings were held after the government launched the online registration process, during which schools were reportedly asked to ensure that every student was registered for at least one sport.

Personnel associated with schools and sports activities have reportedly been tasked with registering around 1,000 to 1,500 players a day across different sports.

Coaches Question Absence Of Actual Participation Data

A coach who has been associated with Khel Mahakumbh for several years described the registration exercise as a “numbers game” and questioned the absence of publicly available figures showing how many registered athletes actually competed.

According to the coach, while the government regularly announces registration figures, the number of athletes who ultimately reach the field and participate in competitions is not publicly disclosed.

The coach claimed that the lack of such figures makes it difficult to assess the actual reach of the sporting event.

Registration Targets For Educational Institutions

Sources said schools and colleges have been focusing heavily on completing registrations.

The government had also introduced cash prizes of ₹5 lakh, ₹3 lakh and ₹2 lakh for the three institutions recording the highest number of registrations.

People associated with the sporting community, however, have argued that such incentives should instead be linked to actual participation in competitions rather than the number of online registrations.

Registered Teams Often Do Not Reach Field, Coach Claims

A coach involved in organising events at the local level said the difference between registration and actual participation can be significant.

According to the coach, while online registration for a team sport may show 100 or 150 teams, sometimes only around half of those teams report at the venue to compete.

The coach said a similar situation is seen in individual sports, with some schools registering students online but not sending them to participate in the actual competitions.

Education Department Drawn Into Registration Exercise

Khel Mahakumbh is generally administered by the Sports, Youth Services and Cultural Activities Department. However, sources said senior officials from the Education Department and other departments associated with educational institutions have also recently been assigned registration-related responsibilities.

Sources claimed that senior education officials were given verbal instructions to encourage institutions to increase registrations.

The reported involvement of education officials has also raised questions over the growing reliance on verbal instructions to educational institutions to achieve registration targets.

The claims could not be independently verified from the information provided. No official data on the number of registered athletes who ultimately participate in Khel Mahakumbh competitions has been provided in the material.