The Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, has rescheduled the State-Level Selection Trials for tribal youth to participate in the first edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026, following requests from the Tribal Council. The trials, earlier scheduled for January 6 and 7, 2026, will now be held on January 7 and 8, 2026.
The Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 are being organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, in Chhattisgarh. The national-level event is exclusively designed for tribal youth in the open-age category, with the objective of providing a competitive platform to showcase sporting talent and enable systematic talent identification for future development pathways.
According to officials, the revised schedule ensures greater participation from tribal communities across the islands. The selection trials will cover multiple sports disciplines, including football, hockey, athletics, weightlifting, swimming, and archery.
As per the rescheduled programme, football trials for both men and women will be conducted on January 7, 2026, from 10:00 am at the Modern Sports Complex, Lapathy, Car Nicobar. Hockey (men and women), athletics (men and women), and weightlifting (men and women) trials are scheduled for January 8, 2026, from 10:00 am.
Swimming trials for men will be held on January 7, 2026, from 8:00 am, while swimming trials for women will take place on January 8, 2026, from 8:00 am. Both swimming events will be conducted at the Swimming Pool, Netaji Sports Complex, Sri Vijaya Puram.
Archery selection trials for men and women, in both recurve and compound categories, are scheduled for January 8, 2026, from 10:00 am at the Archery Range, Netaji Sports Complex, Sri Vijaya Puram.
The Directorate has requested all interested tribal youth to report at the respective venues as per schedule with mandatory documents issued by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration. These include the original Scheduled Tribe certificate along with two self-attested copies, and the original State Domicile Certificate with two self-attested copies, such as an Islander Card or Local Certificate.
Officials stated that only candidates fulfilling the eligibility criteria and producing valid documentation will be considered for selection. The trials form a crucial step in finalising the contingent that will represent the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026.
For further information or clarification regarding the trials, candidates may contact physical education teachers Nagesh Rao at 7063974074 or A G Praveen Rao at 9474230278.
The Andaman and Nicobar Administration has reiterated its commitment to promoting sports among tribal youth and providing opportunities for participation at national platforms through structured selection and training programmes.
