Karnataka Offers Free Sports Access Across 31 Districts On National Sports Day

To mark National Sports Day, the Karnataka Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), in partnership with sports platform Playo, opened select sporting venues for free public access across all 31 districts of the state on Saturday, with the flagship event organised at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

Under the initiative, 31 Playo-affiliated venues—one in each district—made their facilities accessible to citizens at zero cost from 9 am to 9 pm. Residents and sports enthusiasts were able to reserve slots on a first-come, first-served basis for activities such as badminton, football, cricket, and pickleball.

National Sports Day is observed annually on August 29 to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, who represented India in three Olympic gold-medal-winning teams. The state government aimed to mark the occasion by lowering financial barriers and encouraging residents to adopt physical activities.

State leaders, including Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara, urged citizens to take part in the event and explore sporting options across the designated facilities.

A representative from Playo stated that National Sports Day served as the ideal opportunity to eliminate cost barriers and offer people a reason to return to sports or try them for the first time. The platform anticipated bookings from a wide demographic, including regular athletes, working professionals, students, families, and first-time participants.

Local residents welcomed the move. Roopa SKT, a working professional and student in Bengaluru, noted that while she had regularly engaged in sports like swimming, squash, and basketball during her school years, academic and work commitments later led to a sedentary lifestyle where her participation was limited to mobile chess. She expressed that accessing community sports offered a way to build connections and counter social isolation.

Sarang, a 35-year-old software engineer who plays pickleball with colleagues and friends, said that staying physically active supported mental health and a positive outlook. He noted that mass-level initiatives help foster healthier mindsets across the city and encourage people to focus on better living.

Organisers stated that the initiative highlighted an untapped demand for sports across Karnataka, emphasising that continued infrastructure investment by relevant departments could further expand public access across smaller towns and major urban centres alike.