A colorful inauguration ceremony showing the religious heritage and biodiversity of Uttarakhand marked the beginning of the 38 national games here on Tuesday, since around 10,000 athletes prepared to compete for the podium in 32 disciplines. The games will be held until February 14 and the events will be held in seven cities of Hill State, being the main place. Around 450 gold medals, and a similar number of silver and bronze medals are at stake. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the stadium along with Uttarakhand Prime Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, and will open the games in a short time. It is estimated that 25,000 spectators have packed the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium despite the cold weather to catch the live ceremony.
The prime minister had also opened the last two editions of the Games in 2022 (Gujarat) and 2023 (GOA).
After taking a round of the stadium in an adorned golf cart, Modi was presented a traditional cap, chal and a memory that contained replicas of the pet ‘Mauli’ pets and the medals.
The governor of Uttarakhand, Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh, the Minister of State for the Union for Raksha Khadse Deportivo, and the Minister of Sports of Uttarakhand, Rekha Arya, were the dignitaries present on the occasion.
The president of the Olympic Association of India, PT Usha, and the head of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Chris Jenkins, also attended the ceremony.
The host of the national game has a special meaning for Uttarakhand, since the State celebrates the 25th year of its creation.
‘Mauli’, inspired by the Uttarakhand ‘Monal’ state bird, is the pet mascot, which symbolizes natural beauty, diversity and cultural heritage of the region.
The majority of established sports stars in the country, such as the javelin pitcher, Neeraj Chopra, Shuttleler PV Sindhu, Shooter Manu Bhaker are losing it, leaving the stage for other athletes to leave a brand.
Among the prominent names that will appear are the winning Olympic shooters of the Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh medal, the medalist carrier of the World Championship Lakshya Sen and the winning boxers of bronze Lovlina Borgahain.
Four sports, Kalarippayattu, Yogasana, Mallakhambh and Rafting, will be demonstration sports (not medals).
With the theme of ‘Green Games’, the event aims to inspire people and organizations to adopt ecological and sustainable practices.
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