Youngsters await moment of glory

Youngsters await moment of glory

Pune: The best and the brightest young talent from all over India will feature in the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) which commences at the Balewadi Sports Complex on Wednesday.

A slew of young Youth Olympic champions, World Cadet Wrestling gold medallists, Olympian athletes and medal-winning shooters will be among the stars in action over the next 11 days.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of State for Sports Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will attend a virtual torch ceremony for the Khelo India Youth Games at the Shiv Chatrapati Sports Complex in Mhalunge-Balewadi here on Wednesday evening.

The event will kick off the 12-day extravaganza for the over 6,000 Under-17 and Under-21 athletes who have gathered from all parts of the country. Seventeen disciplines are being contested in the next fortnight among them being athletics, badminton, boxing hockey, football and wrestling.

The list of 6,000-plus athletes includes World Cadet gold medal wrestlers in girls Anshu and Sonam; Olympian athlete Jisna Mathew, Mizoram’s weightlifting prodigy Jeremy Lalrinnunga, who created history by winning India’s first gold medal in Summer Youth Olympics and his fellow Mizo wrestler, Jacob Vanlaltluanga, who had won a bronze medal in Asian Youth and Junior Championship, two-time National women’s tennis champion, Mahak Jain, swimming star Srihari Nataraj and numerous other young stars.

It also includes three 10-year-old athletes including footballer Pratima Kumar from Jharkhand, hockey player Laltlanchhungi from Mizoram and West Bengal’s 10m air rifle shooter Abhinav Shaw.

The athletes will compete in 18 different disciplines, of which six are team sports. The agenda includes Kabaddi and Kho-Kho.

The young sportspersons will get a chance make their dreams come alive on a national platform. 

They are not only representing the urban and rural India but also span a wide range of 10-21 years.

Maharashtra, who finished second in the inaugural Khelo India School Games 2018, are aiming to grab the top spot from Haryana.

Maharashtra has close to 900 athletes and officials and coaches, which makes it by far the biggest contingent at the Games.

Enjoyed reading The Bridge Chronicle?
Your support motivates us to do better. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated with the latest stories.
You can also read on the go with our Android and iOS mobile app.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
The Bridge Chronicle
www.thebridgechronicle.com