The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) National Games and Sports Championship 2026 is set to begin on August 21 and continue until October 15, with more than two lakh students registered to participate.

Organised by CISCE, the 56-day championship will feature 46 national championship events across 26 sports. The competitions will be hosted by 39 schools across 14 states.

The championship will include Under-14, Under-17 and Under-19 categories, with competitions for boys and girls. The 2026 programme includes athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, gymnastics, swimming and diving, chess, boxing, karate, taekwondo, volleyball, rugby, skating, squash, table tennis, yoga and archery, among other sports.

CISCE Chief Executive and Secretary Dr Joseph Emmanuel said sport is an integral part of the CISCE education system and highlighted students’ participation in competitive sports.

“Sport has always been an integral part of the CISCE educational experience, and our schools have a proud legacy of nurturing sporting excellence,” Emmanuel said.

He also cited Abhinav Bindra, Leander Paes and Sania Mirza among the sportspersons who emerged from the CISCE school system.

Uttar Pradesh will host eight championships, the highest among the states. Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will host five championships each.

Emmanuel added that the championship would provide students with opportunities to compete and develop their sporting skills.

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