The genesis of the National Games is in the Olympic movement, which gathered momentum in the country in the 1920’s. The need to identify national talent that could be picked for the Olympic Games, prompted the initiation of the National Games. The culmination of the efforts of Dr A. G. Noehren and Harry Crowe Buck to assimilate and channel the energy of the youth through a pan-India sporting event led to the launch of the 1st edition of the Indian Olympic Games at Lahore in an undivided Punjab in 1924. The first three editions were all held in the city of Lahore. After the eighth edition in 1938 in Calcutta, the event was christened as the National Games. The city of Lucknow hosted the National Games in its first post-independence avatar while the first National Games on the lines of the Olympics were held in 1985 in New Delhi.
The duration and the regulations of the National Games are entirely within the jurisdiction of the Indian Olympic Association. Notwithstanding the frequent periods of stresses and strains, the Olympic Movement has not lost its sheen or vigour. On the contrary, it is strengthening thanks to the involvement of the state governments across the country in creating sophisticated state-of-the-art infrastructure in centres like Guwahati, Ranchi, Kerala and now Goa.
INDIAN OLYMPIC GAMES

I Indian Olympic Games, LAHORE

II Indian Olympic Games, LAHORE

III Indian Olympic Games, LAHORE

IV Indian Olympic Games, ALLAHABAD

V Indian Olympic Games, MADRAS

VI Indian Olympic Games, NEW DELHI

VII Indian Olympic Games, LAHORE

VIII Indian Olympic Games, CALCUTTA
NATIONAL GAMES

IX National Games, BOMBAY

X National Games, PATIALA

XI National Games, LAHORE

XII National Games, LAHORE
NATIONAL GAMES: POST INDEPENDENCE

XIII National Games, LUCKNOW

XIV National Games, MADRAS

XV National Games, JABALPUR

XVI National Games, NEW DELHI

XVII National Games, PATIALA

XVIII National Games, CUTTAK

XIX National Games, NEW DELHI

XX National Games, JABALPUR

XXI National Games, CALCUTTA

XXII National Games, BANGALORE

XXIII National Games, MADRAS

XXIV National Games, CUTTAK

XXV National Games, HYDERABAD
NATIONAL GAMES (OLYMPIC FORMAT)

XXVI National Games, NEW DELHI

XXVII National Games, KERALA

XXVIII National Games, MAHARASTHRA

XXIX National Games, KARNATAKA

XXX National Games, MANIPUR

XXXI National Games, PUNJAB

XXXII National Games, HYDERABAD

XXXIII National Games , GUWAHATI

XXXIV National Games, RANCHI

XXXV National Games , KERALA

XXXVI National Games, GOA

XXXVII National Games, CHATTISGARH

XXXVIII National Games, UTTARAKHAND

XXXIX National Games, MEGHALAYA
WINTER NATIONAL GAMES

I National Winter Games, GULMARG

II National Winter Games, MANALI

III National Winter Games, AULI

IV National Winter Games, GULMARG
