Dispur, Dec 20 (IANS) The preparations for the third Khelo India Youth Games to be held in Guwahati from January 10-22 are being carried out in full swing. Addressing the media, the CEO of the Games and Principal Secretary of Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Government of Assam, Avinash Joshi said that this is going to be the biggest sports event the country has ever witnessed.
“The third edition of the Khelo India Games will be bigger and better than the previous two editions of the competition. We are expecting around 6,800 athletes to take part in the tournament and around 3,000 support staff, coaches and managers will be at the ground. This will be the biggest-ever sports event in the country in terms of the number of persons involved in the competition,” said Joshi.
Along with the athletes and support staff, 1000 volunteers will lend their service for the smooth conduct of the games. The boys and girls will play both in Under-17 and Under-21 categories across 20 sports disciplines. Two new sports disciplines, cycling and lawn ball will be introduced in the third edition. Joshi said that the infrastructure for the competition will be ready completely by December 28.
The opening ceremony will be held on January 10. The sporting events will be held in 11 venues in and around Guwahati. The organisation of security aspects, transportation and availability of passes for the audience are being planned meticulously.
–IANS
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