Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya will inaugurate the BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games 2026 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad on October 12.
The event will be organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Gujarat government under India’s BRICS Chairship.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse, and Gujarat Minister of State for Sports Jayram Gamit will also attend the inauguration.
The Games will bring together delegations from BRICS member and partner countries to showcase traditional and indigenous sporting practices, promote cultural exchange and preserve sporting heritage.
According to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the event will follow a non-competitive format, focusing on demonstrations, documentation and the exchange of traditional sporting knowledge. The platform will also encourage interaction among practitioners and strengthen people-to-people ties through sport.
Participating countries are expected to showcase a diverse range of traditional sports and cultural practices. India’s demonstrations will include Mallakhamb, Yogasana and Kalaripayattu.
Other participating countries will present their indigenous sporting traditions, including Wushu and lion dance from China, Capoeira and Corrida de Toras from Brazil, Zoorkhaneh from Iran, Qazaq Kuresi from Kazakhstan, Sambo from Russia, and Kgati and Iintonga from South Africa.
Belarus, Bolivia, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates will also showcase their traditional sporting practices, reflecting the cultural diversity of the participating nations.
Bilateral meetings with visiting delegations are also planned on the sidelines of the Games to explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation in sports and the promotion of traditional and indigenous games within the BRICS framework.
The initiative aims to celebrate the sporting heritage of participating countries while fostering mutual understanding, cultural exchange and stronger international cooperation through traditional sports.
-PIB
