THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 17th edition of Isha Gramotsavam, one of the largest rural sports festivals, will kick off in six districts of the state from August 23. Over 700 players from across the state are expected to participate, forming more than 140 teams. Matches will be held in Kasaragod, Kannur, Thrissur, Palakkad, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts.
The festival unfolds in three stages: cluster level, divisional level, and the grand finale. The cluster-level matches will take place on August 23-24 in Thrissur’s Varandarappilly and Ernakulam’s Ambalamugal. Kasaragod’s Cheruvathur will host matches on August 28-29, followed by Pothencode in Thiruvananthapuram and Vellachal-Makreri in Kannur on August 30-31. Palakkad’s Ayiloor will host matches on September 1-2.
Nationally, Isha Gramotsavam will span over 35,000 villages across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, and, Odisha. More than 50,000 rural participants, including over 5,000 women, are competing this year, forming over 6,000 teams.
The grand finale will take place before the iconic Adiyogi at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, on September 21. Competing teams stand a chance to win from a prize pool of Rs 67 lakh, with Rs 5 lakh each awarded to the winners in both men’s and women’s categories.