The fourth edition of Khelo India Youth Games 2021 was hosted at Haryana from June 4 to 13, 2022. The Khelo India initiative was proposed by the Government of India in 2017 to revive India’s sporting culture by engaging with children at the grassroot level. This year the championship was won by the host State, Haryana. Kalaripayattu was one among the five indigenous sport events that made their debut through this season of Khelo India. Kerala came in fifth after winning 18 medals at the final tally, out of which 15 medals were for Kalaripayattu.
The first-ever medal for Kalaripayattu for the State of Kerala was won by Agasthyam’s Adarsh V. S. by participating in the under 14 Chuvadu competition, male category. Gopika S. Mohan, another student from Agasthyam also won a silver medal for the same event in the female category. Raga Shankar from Agasthyam Kalari showcased exceptional performance in the under 18 Chuvadu competition. All the three participants underwent proficient and rigorous training from their coach, Arun U.S. under the guidance of expert martial artist, Dr. S. Mahesh Gurukkal.
