Kanpur: Green Park Stadium in Kanpur will host Baby Games 2026 from October 5 to 10, offering children aged 3 to 8½ years an opportunity to participate in a wide range of sporting activities. The competitions have been designed according to different age groups, with formats and events tailored to the children’s developmental levels.
Organised by the Kanpur Olympic Association in association with the Uttar Pradesh Olympic Association and with the support of Kreeda Bharati, the event aims to introduce children to organised sports at an early age and encourage families and schools to take an active role in grassroots sporting activities.
The event will feature athletics, football, badminton, table tennis, cycling, karate, yoga, archery, gymnastics, judo, taekwondo, swimming, handball, throwball, climbing, tug of war, weightlifting, basketball, cricket, mini golf, chess, zumba and aerobics, among other disciplines.
For children aged 3 to 4½ years, events will include short-distance races, standing jump, ball throw and plastic javelin, along with simplified formats of several team and individual sports. The 4½ to 6½ years category will feature events such as 50m, 80m and 100m races, broad jump, medicine-ball throw and modified team games. Children aged 6½ to 8½ years will compete in longer races, long and high jump, relay events and expanded formats of football, cricket, badminton, table tennis and other sports.
The event mascot, ‘Gajju’, will also interact with children and encourage participation.
Registration will be conducted through the event website. Parents will need to provide parent, child, emergency and consent details. A child can register for one or more games, with the fee fixed at ₹250 per game. Participants will receive medals and certificates, while podium recognition will also be part of the event.
A special ‘Family Run with Baby’ will allow parents to participate alongside their children. Organisers expect more than 5,000 children, over 10,000 visitors and participation from around 450 schools during the event.
Dr Rajat Aditya Dixit, Secretary of the Olympic Association, said the initiative seeks to familiarise children with different sports from an early age and help them understand their interests while encouraging parents to support their sporting choices.
The organisers said the programme also seeks to promote grassroots sports and contribute to the broader vision of developing sporting talent in India. Awards for the best male and female players will be named after Sardar Fateh Singh and Rani Lakshmibai (Manu) respectively.
With its mix of individual and team competitions, Baby Games 2026 is aimed at giving young participants an early experience of sports, competition and participation in a structured sporting environment.
