LUCKNOW Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday virtually declared open the third edition of the 10-day Khelo India University Games (KIUG) at Lucknow’s BBD University Cricket Ground where a grand opening ceremony was organised to mark the occasion.
Among those present at the ceremony were UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Union youth affairs and sports minister Anurag Thakur, minister of state for sports Nisith Pramanik, UP deputy chief minister Brijesh Pathak and minister of state (independent charge), sports and youth welfare, UP, Girish Chandra Yadav.
Over 4,000 athletes from across the country arrived to take part in the tournament with the mantra of ‘kaushal, niti and dhairya’ (skills, strategy, and patience) and ‘Garv se Gaurav’ as the guiding force of the event that will conclude on June 3 at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi.
Four cities across UP – Lucknow, Varanasi, Greater Noida and Gorakhpur – will host most events. Only the shooting events are scheduled in New Delhi. In its third edition, the games are now India’s biggest multi-sport competition at the higher education level.
“The Commonwealth Games scam showed the attitude of the previous government towards sports. Games, which would have enhanced India’s image, were made scam-ridden,” PM Modi said while addressing the athletes.
The ceremony started with the symbolic portrayal of ‘Ramayan’, showcasing the rich Indian culture and tradition, via projection mapping on the octagon-shaped suspended giant screens at the venue. The special focus was on the ‘guru-shishya’ parampara, which was weaved in through the legendary story of ‘Dronacharya and Arjun’.
During an eye-catching performance, artistes presented a narrative of the state’s transformation story – from the rich culture and heritage to the modern growth of Uttar Pradesh of the new India.
An icon of women athletics in India and around the globe, Olympian Sudha Singh took the athlete’s oath alongside Danish Mujtaba, hockey Olympian.
Renowned singer Kailash Kher performed at the venue, setting the tone for the sporting extravaganza. He also sang the the official anthem of KIUG – ‘Khelo India – Har Dil Mein Desh’, composed by musician Palash Sen.
Students of BBD University, alongside NCC cadets, welcomed Shakti – the official torch of KIUG – that went around the entire state in the past 20 days and involved more than five lakh people on its way, creating the buzz and excitement around the Games.
River Ganga is etched on ‘Shakti’ to inspire every athlete to keep moving forward towards their ultimate goal, and the upward-pointing, future-facing arrow celebrates the glorious past and the future of Uttar Pradesh.
“The wait is finally over, and there is great excitement as UP gives a warm welcome to athletes as it stages a landmark edition of the Khelo India University Games – Uttar Pradesh 2022,” said Navneet Sehgal, additional chief secretary, department of sports and youth welfare, UP.
“We have ensured smooth arrangements for everyone, and hope that athletes will go back as ambassadors of the state. We are anticipating an exceptionally high standard of competition, and this is also an outstanding opportunity for all the athletes across the state to cement their universities’ reputation as the powerhouse of sports,” he said.