Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today attended the inaugural program of the second edition of the Khelo India University Games open here at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru.
Governor of Karnataka Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of State, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Nisith Pramanik were the guests of honours at the opening ceremony.
Karnataka Minister of Youth Empowerment and Sports Narayana Gowda were also present.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the ceremony through a video message and said that sports power is contributing to the power of the country.
“Sports power is becoming the power of India and the identity in sports is becoming the identity of the nation,” Modi said in a recorded speech played at the inauguration of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) -2021.
The Prime Minister said the joy in the faces of sportspersons, who took part in the Tokyo Olympics, was not just about winning medals but about playing the games for the nation.
Modi asked the students taking part in the KIUG-2021 not to think that they were playing for themselves, their families or the universities but for the country.
“This spirit will help win medals in future,” Modi said in his video message.
Over 2,500 attendees including delegates from across the country will assemble in the Stadium to witness a cultural programme designed to reflect the essence of Karnataka’s rich cultural tradition while a laser show promises to leave the audience mesmerised and showcase the State as one in which technology has flourished.
Through the Khelo India University Games 2021, the Karnataka Government is also focusing on a pressing issue – environmental sustainability. Everything used in the Games outside the field of play will be made of reusable material; Electric vehicles will be used to transport athletes and all waste will be segregated as wet and dry at the source in every venue. KIUG 2021 will be a Green Games.
About 3879 competitors from 200-plus universities will be in action across 20 different disciplines including indigenous sports like Mallakhamba and Yogasana. The Kanteerava Stadium Complex will host Athletics and Basketball while Shooting will be held on the SAI Campus and Hockey competitions at the Cariappa Stadium. All other events will be on the Jain educational institution premises.
Over 8000 participants, coaches and officials taking part in the KIUG 2021 have access to a first-of-its-kind mobile app for any information related to the competition. The one-stop app will have information about accommodation, food, transport service, emergency contacts, maps to reach various venues and important notifications about the Games among other details.
The Government of Karnataka has made special arrangements for the participants of the Khelo India University Games 2021, allowing the athletes to carry their sporting equipment on the Bengaluru metro when they travel from their accommodation to their respective competition venues.
The State Government has also made tremendous efforts to make the entire Bengaluru city a part of the Khelo India University Games 2021 through hoardings in landmark locations of the city. The participants will enter the KIUG environment right from the time they step out of the railway and bus stations as the Khelo India University Games 2021 advertisement boards will be waiting to welcome them.
(with ANI and PTI inputs)
