State Youth Festival Emerges as a Strong Platform for Recognising Youth Talent: Yadavindra Goma

State Youth Festival 2025–26 Concludes in Bilaspur, Winners Felicitated by Minister Yadavindra Goma

Shimla Tops Folk Dance, Kangra Secures First Position in Folk Group Singing

Bilaspur, January 3, 2026-The two-day State Youth Festival 2025–26, organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports, Himachal Pradesh, concluded successfully on Saturday at the Multipurpose Cultural Complex in Bilaspur. The closing ceremony was graced by the State Minister for AYUSH, Youth Services and Sports, Yadavindra Goma, who attended the programme as the chief guest and felicitated the winners.

Addressing the gathering, the Minister said that the State Youth Festival is not merely a cultural event but a powerful platform that provides recognition to the talent of the youth and prepares them for opportunities at national and international levels. He informed that the winners of the State Youth Festival would get the opportunity to participate in the National Youth Festival to be held in Delhi, where they would represent Himachal Pradesh and showcase their talent on a larger stage.

The Minister stated that in the year 2024, athletes from Himachal Pradesh delivered outstanding performances at international events such as the Paralympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships, bringing pride to both the state and the nation. To honour these achievements, the state government organised a special programme to felicitate international players and medal winners on a common platform. He added that incentive awards amounting to approximately 17 crore rupees were provided by the state government to athletes who brought laurels to the state and the country.

He further said that special directions have been issued by the Chief Minister to strengthen the reward and incentive budget for national-level players, with the objective of creating sustainable opportunities for youth in the field of sports. The government aims to connect more and more young people with sports activities at the village, panchayat, block, district and assembly constituency levels.

The Minister informed that, in this direction, the Chief Minister has resolved to construct indoor stadiums and sports stadiums in every assembly constituency of the state. Sports infrastructure has already been developed at several locations, and this number will continue to increase in the coming times.
He also stated that under the Chief Minister’s schemes, approval has been granted for the construction of playgrounds in every assembly constituency to encourage sports activities. In addition, outstanding players are being provided government employment under three percent reservation in government departments, boards and universities. So far, around 500 players have been provided employment by the state government.

Congratulating all the winners, the Minister wished them a bright future and said that even those participants who could not secure positions this time got a valuable opportunity to showcase their talent. He expressed confidence that the Department of Youth Services and Sports would continue to organise such events in the future to provide growth opportunities to the youth of the state. On this occasion, the Minister also honoured the winners and members of the jury.

District Youth Services and Sports Officer Uttam Dutt, Sports Officer (Headquarters, Shimla) Anurag Verma, along with other officers and employees of the department, were present during the programme.

Winners of State Youth Festival 2025–26
Under the State Youth Festival 2025–26, youth from across the state displayed exceptional talent in various cultural and literary competitions. The winners were felicitated by the Minister on this occasion.
In the Folk Dance Competition, the team from Shimla district secured first position, demonstrating strong cultural expression, while Bilaspur district stood second. Teams from Kullu and Mandi districts jointly secured third position.
In the Folk Group Singing Competition, Kangra district achieved first position. Chamba district secured second position, while teams from Mandi and Sirmaur districts jointly stood third.

In the Story Writing Competition, Yami from Kullu district secured first position, followed by Payal from Una district in second place. Pritam Sharma from Mandi district secured third position with his creative and impactful writing.

In the Poetry Recitation Competition, Rishi Kapoor from Chamba district secured first position. Purvi from Hamirpur district stood second, while Bhargav Pandey from Solan district secured third position. The performances were highly appreciated for their expression, language and presentation.

In the Painting Competition, Riya Verma from Shimla district secured first position. Adarsh Sharma from Hamirpur district stood second, while Shailja Thakur from Bilaspur district secured third position. The participants’ artistic vision and creative use of colours were widely appreciated.

In the Declamation Competition, Anmol Sharma from Una district secured first position. Abha Chandel from Bilaspur district stood second, while Harsh Thakur from Mandi district secured third position.

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