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The Kerala School Sports Meet, previously known as Kerala State School Athletics and Games were inaugurated in 1956 by R. Sankar, the then Chief Minister of Kerala. This initiative was established to promote athletics and physical education among school students across the state.

Each year, over 40 sporting events are held, culminating in the announcement of state champions for each event, along with district and school champions. Participants are awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, celebrating their achievements and fostering a spirit of competition and excellence.

Background

The Kerala State School Athletic Games is an event launched by the Kerala Government to promote sports and physical education among school students. Its goal is to build a strong sports culture by encouraging student participation in various athletic events, helping to identify and nurture young talent. The program organizes competitions by age group, offering a wide range of events, from athletics to team sports. Schools compete at district, sub-district and state levels. In collaboration with the Kerala State Sports Council and the Department of General Education, the initiative not only promotes physical fitness but also emphasizes teamwork and discipline, supporting the overall development of students.

Olympics-model

The Kerala Education Department launched the inaugural "School Olympics" in 2024, an event that aims to revolutionize school sports in the state. Scheduled to take place in Kochi from November 4 to 11, this historic sports meet will feature students from across Kerala competing in 39 diverse sports, including athletics, team sports, and inclusive sports designed for differently-abled athletes. This initiative marks a first of its kind in India, emphasizing the importance of sports in the educational landscape. The winning district will be awarded a 3-kilogram gold trophy, named in honour of the Chief Minister, although logistical challenges may delay its presentation until next year. The opening ceremony at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi) promises to be a vibrant celebration, incorporating cultural performances inspired by the Olympic spirit. Competitions will be held at 19 different venues throughout Kochi, with the inclusion of students from Kerala schools in the Gulf states for the first time. This revamped event signifies a significant evolution from the traditional focus on athletics in school sports meets, as the Public Education Department has meticulously planned a torch relay featuring international athletes, a grand march-past, a theme song, and a sports-cultural festival. The new School Olympics aims to become a landmark event in Kerala's education system, promoting the integration of sports with academics and the arts, thereby fostering a holistic approach to student development.

Students from the Gulf region will also participate in the Kerala State School Olympics in Kochi. The Director of Public Education issued a circular inviting non-resident students to take part in the event. This marks the first time that students from Gulf countries have been invited to a state government-sponsored sports event. The team from the United Arab Emirates will compete as the 15th district in the games, adding international dimension to the competition.

However, on 22 October 2024, the Education Department decided to remove the term 'Olympics' from the title of the school sports festival. This decision stems from regulations that prohibit the use of the word 'Olympics' without authorization from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Initially, the government had named the event a major sports festival, but upon realizing that 'Olympics' is a registered trademark protected under the Olympic Charter, they retracted the name. Thus, the event will now officially be called the "Kerala School Sports Meet". All future promotional materials and official documents related to the event will reflect this updated name. Moving forward, it will be referred to as the "Kerala School Kayika Mela in Olympic Model Kochi-24", aligning with the revised branding while maintaining the essence of a large-scale sports festival.

Format

The 2024 Kerala School Sports Meet was modeled after the Olympic Games, including opening and closing ceremonies similar to those of the Olympics. Athletes who secured top positions received medals modeled after the Olympic design, along with cash awards and certificates.

The events are grouped into three main categories: Athletics, Aquatics, and Games. Participants, both boys and girls, competes in age divisions—Sub-Junior, Junior, and Senior. Points are awarded as follows: 5 points for gold, 3 points for silver, and 1 point for bronze. Trophies and medals are given to the top three athletes in each event, with additional recognition for overall champions in Athletics, Aquatics, and Games. The overall champion district is determined by adding up the points across all events and divisions.

Selection of participants

The Education Department manages the selection process for the Kerala School Sports Meet, ensuring that rules and regulations are followed at every level, from sub-district to state. The system aims to identify top athletes across the state, allowing them to progress from sub-district to district, and eventually to the state level.

Inclusivity

In 2024, the Kerala School Sports Meet featured 1,800 differently-abled students who participated in 21 events. These included 3 team games and 18 athletic competitions. This was the first time that differently-abled students competed in the inclusive category at the state school sports festival. The events in this category included athletics, football, handball, and badminton.

Age categories

Participants are divided into three main categories based on age:

1. Under-14 (Sub-junior): Players must be born after January 1, 2011.
2. Under-17 (Junior): Players must be born after January 1, 2008.
3. Under-19 (Senior): Players must be born after January 1, 2006.

In addition to these categories, competitions are also held at lower levels for Kiddies, LP Kiddies, and LP Mini categories, for younger students.

Participation process

Each revenue district is assigned a set number of participants for each sport to ensure fair competition. The number of athletes allowed per district is consistent for each event.

• In athletics, the competition includes 25 track and field events. Each district can send up to three participants per event, except for the relay events, which allow more athletes.
• In swimming, districts can send six participants for relays and three participants in individual events across 19 swimming events.
• For shooting, three participants are allowed per district in each of the three events.
• In archery, four participants can compete in each of the six events from each district.
• Tug of war (a traditional sport) allows a team of nine players, although the competition itself is for an eight-member team. The total body weight of the eight-member boys' team must not exceed 560 kg, while the girls' team has a limit of 440 kg.

Sport events

As of 2024, the following sports events are held annually:

• Aquatics
  • Swimming
  • Water polo
• Archery
• Athletics
• Badminton
  • Ball badminton
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Chess
• Cricket
• Cross country
• Cycling
• Fencing
• Football
  • Subroto Cup football
• Gymnastics
• Handball
• Hockey
• Judo
• Kabaddi
• Karate
• Kho kho
• Netball
• Powerlifting
• Roller skating
• Sepak takraw
• Shooting
• Softball
• Taekwondo
• Table tennis
• Tennis
• Tennikoit
• Throwball
• Tug of war
• Volleyball
• Weightlifting
• Wrestling
• Wushu
• Yoga

Medal Table

The following medal table is based on performances in Aquatics and Athletics events, with data and medal tallies recorded from 2011 onward. No competitions were held in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Athletic Events

District-wise Medal Tally

The following table displays the total number of medals earned by each district in athletic events.

District-Wise Annual Champions (Athletic)

Year	Number of Events	Districts (Top 3)	Number of		Medals awarded			Best Performing School	Number of		Date & Location
			Points Earned	Medals Earned					Points Earned	Medals Earned
2011	94	Ernakulam	278	85	28	32	25	Mar Basil Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam Ernakulam	150	44	December 4 – 7, Ernakulam
		Palakkad	232	61	26	24	11
		Kozhikode	76	23	8	6	9
2012	94	Palakkad	272	79	28	28	23	St. George's Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam Ernakulam	111	33	December 4 – 7, Thiruvananthapuram
		Ernakulam	257	82	28	30	24
		Kozhikode	84	26	10	8	8
2013	95	Ernakulam	251	79	28	24	27	St. George's Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam Ernakulam	100	33	November 23 – 26, Ernakulam
		Palakkad	218	67	27	14	26
		Kozhikode	110	32	11	12	9
2014	95	Ernakulam	289	81	33	28	20	St. George's Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam Ernakulam	83	29	December 8 – 11, Thiruvananthapuram
		Palakkad	190	61	15	26	20
		Kozhikode	156	48	16	17	15
2015	95	Ernakulam	241	71	25	28	18	Mar Basil Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam Ernakulam	91	29	December 5 – 8, Kozhikode
		Palakkad	225	68	24	23	21
		Kozhikode	130	34	16	9	9
2016	95	Palakkad	255	74	28	25	21	Mar Basil Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam Ernakulam	107	35	December 3 – 6, Malappuram
		Ernakulam	247	75	24	31	20
		Kozhikode	101	27	12	8	7
2017	95	Ernakulam	258	71	34	16	21	Mar Basil Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam Ernakulam	75	21	October 20 – 23, Kottayam
		Palakkad	185	60	22	14	24
		Kozhikode	109	34	8	20	6
2018	96	Ernakulam	253	76	30	26	20	St. George's Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam Ernakulam	81	25	October 26 – 29, Thiruvananthapuram
		Palakkad	196	53	24	16	13
		Thiruvananthapuram	101	31	10	11	10
2019	98	Palakkad	201	60	18	26	16	Mar Basil Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam Ernakulam	62	20	November 15 – 18, Kannur
		Ernakulam	157	46	21	14	11
		Kozhikode	123	39	14	7	18
2022	98	Palakkad	201	71	32	21	18	Ideal E. H. S. S. Kadakassery Palakkad	66	20	December 3 – 6, Thiruvananthapuram
		Malappuram	149	44	13	17	14
		Kozhikode	122	40	8	16	16
2023	98	Palakkad	266	67	28	27	12	Ideal E. H. S. S. Kadakassery Palakkad	57	23	October 16 – 20, Thrissur
		Malappuram	168	55	13	22	20
		Kozhikode	95	29	10	7	12
Kerala School Sports Meet
2024	39	Thiruvananthapuram	1935	541	227	150	164	G. V. Raja Sports School Thiruvananthapuram	268	68	November 4 – 11, Kochi
		Thrissur	848	244	80	65	99
		Malappuram	824	292	64	90	138

Aquatic Events

District-wise Medal Tally

The following table displays the total number of medals earned by each district in aquatic events. Due to the unavailability of data for the events held in 2012 and 2018, those years have been excluded from the following information.

District-Wise Annual Champions (Aquatic)

Year	Number of Events	Districts (Top 3)	Number of		Medals awarded			Best Performing School	Number of		Date & Location
			Points Earned	Medals Earned					Points Earned	Medals Earned
2011	104	Thiruvananthapuram	666	201	68	63	70	Government V. H. S. S, Kalamassery Ernakulam	57	13	October 24 – 27, Aquatics Complex Thrissur
		Ernakulam	232	44	21	13	10
		Thrissur	127	40	13	8	19
2013	104	Thiruvananthapuram	657	201	66	69	66	Government V. H. S. S, Pirappancode Thiruvananthapuram	202	58	October 28 – 31, Swimming Pool Pirappancode
		Ernakulam	224	54	26	19	9
		Thrissur	134	43	10	13	20
2014	104	Thiruvananthapuram	686	199	78	60	61	Government V. H. S. S, Pirappancode Thiruvananthapuram	223	63	October 28 – 31, Aquatics Complex Thrissur
		Ernakulam	157	42	14	15	13
		Thrissur	131	44	11	14	19
2015	104	Thiruvananthapuram	663	196	69	69	58	Government V. H. S. S, Pirappancode Thiruvananthapuram	161	49	October 28 – 31, Aquatics Complex Thrissur
		Thrissur	168	57	12	17	28
		Ernakulam	137	31	18	4	9
2016	104	Thiruvananthapuram	683	203	71	70	62	Government V. H. S. S, Pirappancode Thiruvananthapuram	161	49	October 28 – 31, Aquatics Complex Thrissur
		Ernakulam	142	35	14	11	10
		Thrissur	134	46	10	14	22
2017	104	Thiruvananthapuram	698	200	76	67	57	Government V. H. S. S, Kalamassery Ernakulam	55	13	November 10 – 13, Aquatics Complex Thrissur
		Thrissur	140	50	6	20	24
		Ernakulam	111	29	13	7	9
2019	104	Thiruvananthapuram	648	169	70	69	30	Rajagiri Higher Secondary School, Kalamassery Ernakulam	67	21	October 29 – November 1, Aquatics Complex Thrissur
		Ernakulam	160	53	16	10	27
		Kottayam	147	39	15	12	12
2022	104	Thiruvananthapuram	705	198	79	65	54	Govt. Girls H. S. S, Kanniakulangara Thiruvananthapuram	96	32	November 7 – 9, Aquatics Complex Thrissur
		Ernakulam	139	40	13	12	15
		Thrissur	75	21	6	8	7
2023	103	Thiruvananthapuram	721	199	84	64	51	Madhava Vilasom H. S. S, Thundathil Thiruvananthapuram	132	30	December 8 – 11, Dr.B R Ambedkar International Aquatic Complex, Pirappancode
		Ernakulam	99	37	3	14	20
		Kottayam	73	23	7	6	10

References

1. "In a first, Kerala State School Sports Meet to be held along the lines of Olympics". The Hindu. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
2. "Kerala's first School Olympics to be held in Ernakulam in October". The Hindu. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
3. "Palakkad district clinches victory in 65th Kerala State School Sports Meet with 266 points". The Times of India. 20 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
4. "Kerala School Kalolsavam in Thiruvananthapuram from Dec 3 to 7". onmanorama.com. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
5. "Kerala's first-ever 'School Olympics' to dazzle with 3-kg gold trophy". thebridge.in. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
6. "Kerala introduces new school programmes, sports manual for differently-abled". indiatoday.in. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
7. "State School Olympics: UAE will be named the "15th District"". mediaoneonline.com (in Malayalam). 17 October 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
8. "Use of term 'Olympics' excluded from Kerala School Sports Meet". mathrubhumi.com. 22 October 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
9. "'Olympics' Removed from Kerala School Sports Meet Title". twentyfournews.com (in Malayalam). 22 October 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
10. "Kerala's New Sporting Tradition: School Olympics to Debut in Kochi with 41 Events". skoobuzz.com. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
11. "Kerala School Games Transformed: 39 Sports and 10,000 Matches Mark a New Era in School Olympics". etvbharat.com (in Malayalam). 14 October 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
12. "Visually challenged participants at Inclusive Sports cry foul over 'guide runner'". thehindu.com. 4 November 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
13. "Competitors of the inclusive category preparing for the March Past". keralakaumudi.com. 4 November 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
14. Age Group for Sports & Games Championships2024-2025 (PDF). Kerala Government Department of Education. 2024. p. 1.
15. "Kerala School Olympics to have inclusive sports: Minister". The Hindu. 24 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
16. "Kerala School Sports & Games 2023 Official Website". kerala.gov.in.

External links

• Official website

• National Games of India
• 2015 in multi-sport events
• History of Kerala (1947–present)
• Sport in Kerala