A colourful opening ceremony showcasing Uttarakhand’s religious heritage and bio-diversity marked the start of the 38th National Games here on Tuesday as around 10,000 athletes geared up to compete for podium finishes across 32 disciplines. The Games will run till February 14 and events will be held across seven cities of the hill state with Dehradun being the main venue. Around 450 gold medals, and a similar number of silver and bronze medals are at stake. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at the stadium along with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and will inaugurate the Games in a short while. An estimated 25,000 spectators have packed the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium despite the chilly weather to catch the ceremony live.
The PM had also opened the last two editions of the Games in 2022 (Gujarat) and 2023 (Goa).
After taking a round of the stadium on a decked-up golf cart, Modi was presented a traditional cap, shawl and a memento containing replicas of Games mascot ‘Mauli’ and the medals.
Uttarakhand Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh, Union Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse, and Uttarakhand Sports Minister Rekha Arya were the dignitaries present on the occasion.
Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha and Commonwealth Games Federation chief Chris Jenkins were also in attendance at the ceremony.
Hosting the National Game holds a special significance for Uttarakhand as the state is celebrating the 25th year of its creation.
‘Mauli’, inspired by Uttarakhand’s state bird ‘Monal’, is the Games mascot, symbolising the region’s unique natural beauty, diversity and cultural heritage.
Most of the established sporting stars of the country such as javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, shuttler PV Sindhu, shooter Manu Bhaker are giving it a miss, leaving the stage for other athletes to make a mark.
Among the prominent names who will turn up are Olympic medal-winning shooters Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh, world championships medallist shuttler Lakshya Sen and Tokyo Games bronze-winning boxer Lovlina Borgahain.
Four sports — kalarippayattu, yogasana, mallakhambh and rafting — will be demonstration (non-medal) sports.
With the theme of ‘Green Games’, the event aims to inspire individuals and organisations to adopt eco-friendly and sustainable practices.
Topics mentioned in this article
