Khelo India University Games (KIUG), which is being hosted by northeastern states this year, has commenced, organisers said on Sunday.
The games began on Saturday with kabaddi matches at Guwahati’s Sarusajai Stadium, they said.
Besides, basketball, mallakhamb and women’s football matches are being held in different venues in Guwahati on Sunday, while yogasana events are scheduled in Tripura’s capital Agartala during the day, as per fixtures shared by the organisers. The formal inaugural ceremony, however, will be held on Monday.
Union Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare Anurag Thakur and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will attend the ceremony, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give a video message to the participants.
Apart from Guwahati and Agartala, five other northeastern cities will host the fourth edition of the games, in which 4,500 athletes from 200 universities will take part. The event will conclude on February 29.
KIUG is a part of the Centre’s Khelo India initiative to promote grassroots sports and identify young talents from across the country.
The participants will vie for a total of 262 gold, 263 silver and 297 bronze medals across 20 sports disciplines. Guwahati will host 16 disciplines including athletics, rugby, basketball, volleyball, swimming, badminton, hockey, fencing, kabaddi, women’s football, tennis, mallakhamb, judo and table tennis.
