PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry government has agreed to host the first National Pythian Games after the six-member delegation led by the founder of the Modern Pythian Games and secretary general of the International Pythian Council, Bijender Goel, interacted with Chief Minister N Rangasamy on their two-day visit to the UT.
The delegation explored the potential collaboration with the government in organising the First National Pythian Games, National Pythian Award, and Disabled Cricket League in 2023 and 2024. With an expected participation of upto 10,000 people, these events aim to promote and revive Indian art forms and traditional games, and bring international recognition to Puducherry, said Goel.
"We are pleased to announce that the Tourism Minister K Lakshminarayanan has agreed in principle to host these games in Puducherry. We will now work on the models and present them to the government," he said.
The hosting will be a joint effort by the International Pythian, and non-profit organisations Delphic India Trust and the Pythian Council of India. In conjunction with the event, the International Millet Festival will be organised to showcase India's rich traditional foods, aligning with the United Nations' declaration of 2023 as the international year of millets.
The Modern Pythian Games aim to provide international branding for the state of Puducherry and generate revenue while simultaneously preserving and celebrating India's cultural heritage. The delegation held meetings with Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs A Namassivayam, and Deputy Speaker Rajavelu.
Deputy secretary general of International Pythian Council S Siva Kumar, renowned artist and social worker Malathi Rajavelu, and former commissioner of commercial taxes M Rajshekar were the other members of the delegation.