PURI: A friendly beach volleyball match was held at the blue flag beach here on Sunday to mark the celebration of Commonwealth Day 2022.
Two teams, UK in Kolkata and Odisha Sports played against each other in the friendly match organised by the British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata in collaboration with the Sports and Youth Services department and Puri district administration. Team Odisha Sports won the match.
Inaugurating the match, British Deputy High Commissioner to East and Northeast India Nick Low said, “Celebrating Commonwealth Day in Puri and Bhubaneswar is special as we look forward to the XXII Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022.” “The State’s passion for sports shone through at the brilliant FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup and when Odisha hosted the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay in January. The four nations of the United Kingdom also share that passion,” he said and underlined that he wants sports to be at the heart of UK-Odisha relationship.
Sports and Youth Services Secretary R Vineel Krishna said it was an honour for the department to partner with the British Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and celebrate the spirit of Commonwealth Games. “It is our shared vision to promote sports and we look forward to collectively working towards it in many spheres,” he said. Puri Collector Samarth Verma also spoke.
Later on the day, the British Deputy High Commissioner went to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemetery in Puri to lay a wreath.
The Commonwealth Day will be observed on March 14. The UK is currently Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth. The UK in India network will mark Commonwealth Day with a series of events across the country, including receptions and a model Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for students.