New Delhi: The curtain raiser event of 36th National Games will be held at the EKA Arena Trans Stadia in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening in the presence of eminent dignitaries.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will grace the mega event along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur. Over 9,000 distinguished guests from across the state are expected to attend the glittering ceremony.
The curtain-raiser event will witness the unveiling of the Games Anthem and Mascot, as well as a custom-curated website and mobile application, marking the beginning of the biggest sporting extravaganza in the country.
“We are delighted and proud to host the National Games,” Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel said. “We are eagerly waiting for India’s top athletes and officials and are leaving no stone unturned to make this the best Games ever,” he added.
Other dignitaries who will be present include Harsh Sanghavi, Minister for Sports, Youth & Cultural Activities, Gujarat, Kiritkumar J. Parmar, Mayor of Ahmedabad, Anil Khanna, Acting President of Indian Olympic Association, Smt Sujata Chaturvedi, IAS, Secretary, Sports, Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The 36th National Games, whose theme is Celebrating Unity Through Sports, are being held after a gap of seven years and will take place from September 29 to October 12.
As many as six cities in the state — Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar – will play hosts. New Delhi will additionally host the track cycling event.
An estimated 7,000 athletes from 28 states and eight Union Territories are expected to take part across 36 disciplines that include most traditional Olympic sports. Indigenous sports like mallakhamb and yogasana will also feature in the National Games for the first time.
The Games were last held in Kerala in 2015.
