India, July 16 -- In a major boost to grassroots sports, Isha Gramotsavam, India's largest annual rural sports festival, is set to expand its footprint to northern Indian States for its 18th edition. Organised by Sadhguru's Isha Outreach, the tournament will now span 10 States and one Union Territory, making this the largest-ever chapter of the rural sporting event.

For the first time, the tournament - historically a highly anticipated fixture across rural southern India - will be conducted in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra, alongside Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry.

The mega-event is projected to bring together more than 80,000 players from over 40,000 villages...