Nagpur gears up for 8th Khasdar Krida Mahotsav from May 31

Nagpur: The Second Capital of Maharashtra is once again set to witness a grand celebration of sports and youth talent as the eighth edition of the Khasdar Krida Mahotsav (KKM) will be held from May 31 to June 7, 2026. Over the years, the event has evolved into one of Vidarbha’s biggest grassroots sports festivals, drawing participation from budding athletes, sports clubs and educational institutions across Nagpur.

The announcement regarding the upcoming edition was made during a press conference on Friday by KKM Convenor Sandip Joshi in the presence of Co-convenor Dr Piyush Ambulkar and several members of the organising committee.

Speaking to the media, Joshi said that although the festival is usually conducted on a massive scale across the region, this year’s edition will be organised in a comparatively restricted format due to the severe summer heat and rising temperatures in Nagpur.

He stated that the organisers did not want the sporting movement initiated through the festival to come to a halt, but at the same time athlete safety and health had to be prioritised.

“Keeping the extreme heat conditions in mind, we have decided to limit participation to athletes from Nagpur city this year. Our focus is to ensure both continuity of the event and the well-being of participants,” Joshi said.

Despite the scaled-down format, the week-long sports extravaganza will feature competitions in 18 different disciplines at nearly 20 venues spread across the city. To protect participants from the harsh daytime heat, all outdoor competitions will be conducted during evening and night hours.

The festival will include events such as marathon, athletics, kabaddi, wrestling, kho-kho, badminton, swimming, basketball, chess, carrom, table tennis, handball, softball, yogasana, gymnastics, skating and powerlifting (bench press), among others.

Organisers are expecting enthusiastic participation from young athletes and local sports organisations, continuing the tradition of promoting sports culture and identifying emerging talent at the grassroots level.

One of the biggest highlights of this year’s Khasdar Krida Mahotsav will be the substantial prize distribution. According to the organisers, cash rewards worth Rs 57.63 lakh will be distributed among winners and runners-up across various competitions. Apart from cash prizes, participants securing top positions will also receive medals and trophies.

Joshi further informed that a large team of coordinators and co-convenors has been assigned responsibilities to ensure smooth execution of the event.

Prominent members associated with the organising committee include Dr Padmakar Charmode, Sachin Deshmukh, Ashfaq Sheikh, Dr Vivek Avasare, Dr Sambhaji Bhosale, Amit Sampat, Nagesh Sahare, Navneet Tuli, Sachin Mathane, Vishal Lokhande, Sandesh Khare, Laxmikant Kirpane, Dhananjay Upasani, Satish Wade, Sunil Manekar, Dr Saurabh Mohod, Prakash Chandrayan and Neeraj Dontulwar, among others.

The sporting festival will officially begin with a marathon event on May 31, while the closing ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 7.

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