Will Esports Leave a Lasting Impression at KIYG 2025 with BGMI, Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball?

Patna, May 5 (NationPress) In a groundbreaking moment for the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), esports is set to take center stage as a demonstration event for the very first time. The event, currently underway in Bihar from May 4 to 14, will feature its esports competitions at the Patliputra Sports Complex from May 6 to 7. Gamers can look forward to popular titles including Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball across both mobile and console platforms.

While BGMI continues to dominate as the most acclaimed esports title in India, the inclusion of Chess is particularly significant for KIYG 2025. Once regarded solely as a traditional sport, Chess has made its way into the esports arena, recently showcased in the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, which features a staggering prize pool of USD 1.5 million (Rs 12.6 crore).

NODWIN Gaming, a frontrunner in South Asia’s esports and gaming landscape, has been instrumental in this evolution within India. In 2021, they organized the Chess Super League, showcasing both national and international talents, and also held Chess tournaments at DreamHack India 2024 in rapid and blitz formats.

The diverse esports lineup at KIYG 2025, which spans mobile, console, and strategy formats like chess, underscores a strategic effort to engage various gaming audiences.

“The introduction of titles such as BGMI, Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball in the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 marks a monumental advancement for grassroots esports in India. It’s inspiring to witness esports standing alongside traditional sports, and the inclusion of Chess—merging classic and digital strategies—demonstrates how this initiative aligns with global trends,” remarked Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming.

Highlighting the increasing prominence of Indian Chess in esports, S8UL, a global player in esports and gaming content, has enlisted Grandmasters Aravindh Chithambaram and Nihal Sarin to compete at the EWC 2025.

Besides Chess, S8UL is set to field competitors in Street Fighter 6, along with EAFC25, Call of Duty Warzone, Tekken 8, and Apex Legends at this prestigious tournament.

Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL, expressed that the inclusion of games like Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball on consoles in KIYG 2025 reflects a deliberate effort to diversify beyond mobile gaming, contributing to a more robust competitive ecosystem.

Prior to its inclusion in KIYG 2025, Bihar actively embraced the esports movement by hosting the Bihar State Esports Open Championship and the Bihar Inter School and College Esports Championship over the last year. Other states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Nagaland have also initiated supportive measures to formalize grassroots esports programs.

With S8UL participating in both Chess and Street Fighter at the EWC 2025, India has already begun to make its mark internationally in eFootball, highlighted by Pavan Kampelli's bronze medal win at the 2024 Asian Esports Games in Bangkok.

Esports will be recognized as an official medal sport at the 2026 Asian Games, and the inaugural Olympic Esports Games is slated for 2027.