This year’s Dasara Games, re-named as the Dasara Games – CM Cup 2018, jointly conducted by the Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports (DYES), Government of Karnataka, District Administration, Mysuru and Karnataka Olympic Association (KOA) from Oct.10 to 16, is being conducted in a new format for the first time. The organisers will be conducting 25 sports disciplines in the Games and they expect an increase in the number of sports persons taking part from previous edition’s 2,000 to 5,000 this year. As they will not be able to give accommodation facilities for all the 5,000 sports persons in Mysuru, they have decided to conduct 10 sports disciplines in Bengaluru, despite opposition from various Sports Associations that the Games be conducted in Mysuru only.

This decision was taken at a meeting held on Sunday between the DYES, KOA and the Sports Associations.

Speaking to SOM, Jitender Shetty, Nodal Officer, DYES, for the Dasara Games-CM Cup 2018, said that as the organisers could not find suitable accommodation facilities for conducting all the 25 disciplines in Mysuru, 10 disciplines have been shifted to Bengaluru.”

The Games shifted to Bengaluru are Rifle-Shooting, Weight-lifting, Football, Badminton, Archery, Swimming, Taekwondo, Judo, Tennis and Table Tennis.

He also said that this year’s Games will be conducted in a revised format where the eight best teams in each disciplines from all over the State selected by the Associations will take part in the Championships.

He said that the certificates which were not valid all these years will be valid from this year onwards and the prize money for the winners in team events and individual events has been enhanced substantially this year compared to the previous years.

He also said that indigenous games like Nadu Kusti, Mallakamb, Stone-lifting and Chess will also be conducted in Mysuru.