Khel Mahakumbh Scheme: Eligibility, Benefits, Documents & More

15^th Dec 2025...

Published By : Team 811

Khel Mahakumbh Latest News (2025)

Khel Mahakumbh 2025 3.0 launched on January 4-5, 2025, by the Government of Gujarat, with the inauguration in Rajkot.
A record ≈ 71.3 lakh athletes registered for this edition.
Khel Mahakumbh 2025 registration date online was from 29th Aug 2025 to 22nd Sept 2025.
The 2025 edition features 39 sports disciplines across multiple age categories.
Total cash prizes worth ₹45 crore will be awarded to winners at the taluka, district and state levels.

Khel Mahakumbh Key Takeaways

Khel Mahakumbh remains Gujarat’s largest grassroots sports festival
It promotes mass participation across age groups and ability levels.
It enables outstanding performers to progress into higher-level training and sports development programs.
The scheme blends competition, inclusivity, and incentives (prizes + recognition), aiming to build a strong sports ecosystem at the village, taluka, district, and state levels.
Participation is free, with no registration fee and 100% accessibility to all sections of society.

The Government of Gujarat appoints the Sports Authority of Gujarat under the Sports, Youth & Cultural Activities Department to manage the scheme called Khel Mahakumbh. This is a flagship state-level sports festival throughout the state. The launch year of the scheme is 2010. The scheme is there to encourage grassroots sports participation and recognise sports talent. Also, it promotes a culture of physical fitness across the state (from remote villages to urban centres). The scheme aims to make sports accessible and aspirational for all with its inclusive approach. It covers children, youth, adults, seniors and para-athletes.

What is the Khel Mahakumbh Scheme?

This scheme happens annually (or periodically) like a multi-sport festival throughout the state of Gujarat. There are structured competitions across several sports and age categories. Participants of the Khel Mahakumbh Scheme progress through hierarchical levels. It is from village/school to taluka, district, zonal, and finally state-level competitions.

The games in Khel Mahakumbh 2025 edition include 39 sports disciplines, combining traditional and Olympic sports, emerging sports, and para-sports.

The scheme utilises these competitions to:

Foster a mass sports culture and inclusiveness.
Enable talent identification and development. Outstanding performers can get a chance in advanced training under state-level or national-level sports programs.
Provide monetary incentives and recognition to motivate participants.

Thus, Khel Mahakumbh functions both as a sports festival and a talent-scouting platform for the youth of Gujarat.

Who It Benefits

Khel Mahakumbh is open to a broad and diverse population. Beneficiaries include:

Children and youth (age categories start from Under-9) up to seniors (open, 40+, 60+).
Students enrolled in schools or colleges in Gujarat can register via their institution.
Non-students (working individuals, others) residing, studying, working or doing business in Gujarat for at least 2 years.
People transferred from other states but now residing/working in Gujarat for at least 6 months (in case of government employees).
Para-athletes, including physically, visually, hearing, and mentally challenged, and others. This makes the scheme inclusive for special-ability participants.

Therefore, any resident or eligible individual in Gujarat can take part. They must meet the eligibility criteria for residence/affiliation, but irrespective of their age or background.

Features & Benefits of Khel Mahakumbh

Wide Range of Sports: 39 sports in 2025 covering Olympic, emerging and para-sports disciplines.

Inclusive Age & Ability Categories: From under-9 to 60+, including special categories for para-athletes.

Tiered Competition Structure: Village/School → Taluka → District → Zonal → State-level — offers gradual progression and competitive exposure.

Large Cash Prize Pool: Total prize money of up to ₹45 crore for winners at various levels.

Talent Identification & Training Pathways: Outstanding performers are at times selected for advanced training, coaching, or representation under state sports development programs.

No Participation Fee: The scheme is free; registration and participation do not require payment, and so it becomes accessible to all.

Inclusivity & Para-Sports: Special recognition to differently-abled athletes assures wider access and equal opportunity.

Banking/Logistics Support for Participants

To facilitate easy receipt of cash prizes or grants, winners are often advised to have an Aadhaar-linked, DBT-enabled zero balance bank account (or an equivalent digital banking account). A modern digital savings account helps with:

Receiving prize money directly and without delay
Easy access to funds via debit/virtual cards for equipment, travel, and training
Transparent tracking of receipts and expenses, especially for young athletes or families

This support mechanism makes the scheme more effective and user-friendly, especially for grassroots-level participants in rural or underserved areas.

Eligibility Criteria for Khel Mahakumbh

To participate in Khel Mahakumbh:

Must be a resident, student, worker or business-owner in Gujarat (or must have resided/studied/ worked there for a minimum required period — usually 2 years).
Students must register through their school or college; non-students may register via their district’s Sports Training Centre.
Should respect the rule of a maximum of two sports registrations per participant (cannot register for more than 2 sports).
For government-transferred individuals: transfer to Gujarat must have occurred at least 6 months before registration date.
For team events (school-level), teams must consist of bona fide students from the same school, with a common school code and approval from the principal.

Exclusions

Individuals not meeting residence/domicile/transfer requirements.
Participants who attempt to register in more than two sports.
Teams not adhering to school-based rules for team events (in case of school entries).

Documents Required

Depending on participant type (student/non-student/employee), the required documentation may include:

Domicile Certificate or proof of residence in Gujarat
Aadhaar Card (or equivalent identity proof)
Bonafide Certificate for school/college students
Bank passbook or account details (for prize money disbursement)
Transfer certificate or proof of employment transfer (for government employees relocated from other states)
School code and Principal’s certification (for team events)
Any other documents as required during registration or verification

Application Process (2025)

Visit the official portal: khelmahakumbh gujarat gov in
Click on Register/Login.
Choose your registration category: Individual, Team, School/College, or Non-student.
Fill in personal and contact details, age category, sport(s) you wish to register for (max 2), and upload required documents.
After successful registration, you receive a registration number / KMK ID for future reference.
Now, you, as a participant, can participate in competitions at their local level (school/village). Then, you can progress through the taluka, district, zonal and state levels as per their performance.

Registration is free of cost.

Check Status

After registration, participants can use their registration number/KMK ID to check a few things via the official Khel Mahakumbh portal:

Participation status
Match schedules
Results
Prize money information

The portal is the main source for all communications and updates.

Benefit Disbursal

Winners at the taluka, district, zonal and state levels receive cash prizes. The total prize pool for 2025 is ₹45 crore.
Prize money (or any grants) will be credited via DBT or direct bank transfer into the bank account provided at registration.
Outstanding performers sometimes get a chance for advanced training or inclusion in state- or nationally-recognised sports development programs. The Sports Authority of Gujarat run these programs.

Conclusion

So, the scheme of Khel Mahakumbh serves as one of the most ambitious grassroots sports initiatives. There is a unique combination of mass participation and talent identification. It offers structured competitions across a wide variety of sports. And it is for all age groups and abilities. It combines significant financial incentives and opportunities for advanced training. Nurturing of new talent from villages and towns across Gujarat is possible through this scheme.

For many young athletes (from rural or urban backgrounds), Khel Mahakumbh serves as a kickstart in a:

Sporting career
Recognition
Healthier and more active life

As the scheme continues to grow, with increased participation and government support, its potential to transform Gujarat’s sporting enthusiasm remains strong.

FAQs on Khel Mahakumbh

1. Who can participate?

Residents, students or workers in Gujarat (or those who’ve resided there for the required period), including men, women, children, seniors, and para-athletes.

2. Is there any registration fee?

No. Participation is free and registration is done through the official portal.

3. How many sports can one participant register for?

Maximum two sports per person per edition.

4. What kind of benefits are offered?

Cash prizes (total prize pool ₹45 crore in 2025), trophies, recognition, and possible selection for advanced sports training programs.

5. How to register?

Online via khelmahakumbh.gujarat.gov.in or through affiliated institutions (school/college or district sports centre), depending on profile.

6. Are para-athletes eligible?

Yes, various para-sport events are included, and specially-abled athletes can participate under relevant categories.

7. What is the structure of competition?

Structured in ascending levels: Village/School → Taluka → District → Zonal → State. Winners advance through levels based on performance.