Evaluating Team Performance and Ranking in the Khelo India Games: A Cross-efficiency DEA Approach to Enhancing India’s Olympic Prospects

The Indian government launched the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) in 2018, aiming to boost grassroots sports culture and promote India as a prominent athletic nation. Based on the existing literature, ranking states/UTs in amateur multi-sport events have been explored. The article proposes a three-step methodology using a multiple linear regression model to identify significant inputs among five independent variables. The inputs having a significant impact on medals won are then considered for a cross-efficiency data envelopment analysis to fairly rank the participating teams. The states/UTs are then classified based on their performance levels using the cross-efficiency scores. The article relates the performance of these teams to recent international multi-sport events, such as the Paris Olympics (2024), the Tokyo Olympics (2020) and the Commonwealth Games, to draw valuable insights into the current Indian sports landscape. The article uses data from three editions of the KIYG, and the analysis resulted in identifying eight high performers, eight moderate performers, seven low performers and the remaining eight critically low performers. According to the regression analysis, athlete counts or team size is the major contributor, accounting for more than 70% of the explanation for the medals won. The article’s findings target policymakers and sports administrators in low-performing states/UTs, urging them to revise budget allocations and implement necessary policy amendments to enhance each state’s contribution to India’s overall sports landscape.