Khelo India Games create a big sports community, says Tokyo Olympian Varun Thakkar

Tokyo Olympian sailor Varun Thakkar was spotted in the crowd during events at the Khelo India Youth Games 2023 Tamil Nadu, cheering on the young wrestlers as the Wrestling action began at the Rajarathinam Stadium in Chennai on January 27.

The 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist also enthusiastically reacted on every pass and penalty corner as he witnessed the men’s hockey final where Odisha beat Madhya Pradesh 4-0 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium. “I think the Khelo India Youth Games is a huge steppingstone for budding athletes. It gives a lot of opportunities for scouts to see young talents play at such a high level,” mentioned Varun.

Varun paired up with KC Ganapathy to represent Team India at the Skiff – 49er Event in Sailing at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The duo also finished 5th with 48 net points in the men’s skiff 49er event at the Hangzhou Asian Games, held last year. “I would say this is a great initiative by the Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India. And I also congratulate the Tamil Nadu Government for such a superb organisation of the games. It was very nice to witness the wrestling and hockey action. The energy level and excitement of these athletes is tremendous,” Varun added.

Speaking about the community-building aspect of the games, Varun said, “I think the most important thing about the games is the big community it creates. There are so many States competing and there is audience representation from all these States too. From the constant cheering from the stands to the friendships building, I think this is a great environment to be in for all these guys to come together. “The Khelo India games is a boon for sports in India and the message goes out to every nook and corner of the country to give more impetus to choose a professional career in sports,” he said.