The genesis of National Games is in the Olympic movement, which gathered momentum in the country in the twenties of the last century. It aimed at promoting the Olympic Sports in the country. The culmination of this movement was the launching of the 9th edition of the Indian Olympic Games at Lahore in the undivided Punjab in 1924. The competitions were held in every two years in one or other major city of the country ever since. The Indian Olympic Games was held as National Games from 1940 onwards. The city of Lucknow hosted National Games for the first time after independence. The duration and the regulations of the National Games are entirely within the jurisdiction of the Indian Olympic Association. Although the periodicity of National games is two years it is not allowed to coincide with the years scheduled for the conduct of Olympic Games and Asian Games.

It is for the second time National Games is coming to Kerala. The first occasion was in 1987 when the 27th National Games was held at Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Alappuzha, Kochi, Thrissur and Kollam.