Bihar leads charge as e-sports makes KIYG debut

Patna, May 8 (PTI) Hosts Bihar led the charge with multiple top-three finishes across various events as e-sports made debut as a demonstration sport at the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) here on Thursday.

A total of eight states participated in the demonstration event, competing in disciplines such as BGMI, Chess, Street Fighter 6, and eFootball.

Among all categories, BGMI continues to hold the top spot as the most popular e-sport in India.

Sixteen teams — two from each state — contested for top finishes at KIYG 2025. Bihar's A and B teams claimed first and third places, respectively, while Tamil Nadu's A team was sandwiched between the two home sides.

In the e-Football console event, Tamil Nadu's Arnav Rajiv Parikh emerged victorious, followed by Bihar's Tanav Raj in second and Maharashtra's Ronit Sagar Satam in third.

Chess saw local talents dominate once again, with Rupesh B Ramchandra and Amrit Raunak finishing first and second, and Maharashtra's Mohit Kamlesh Thanvi completing the podium.

In Street Fighter 6, Telangana's Mandalapu Sreejesh claimed the top spot. He was trailed by Maharashtra's Parth Swapnil Pawar in second and Bihar's Rohit Kumar in third.

The e-Football mobile category culminated in a thrilling final between Nagaland's Lamgouhao Kipgen and Arunachal Pradesh's Jipin Gongo, with the title heading to the Northeast. Maharashtra's Parth Varekar secured third place. PTI AH AH BS BS BS