KOCHI: Streams of students snaked into pools of shade at the iconic Maharaja’s College ground in Ernakulam on Monday. Despite the balmy evening, the excitement for the inauguration ceremony of the 2024 Kerala State School Sports Meet was palpable, even electric. It was this supercharged atmosphere that Thakkudu, the spirited squirrel mascot, bounded into, embodying the agility and enthusiasm of young athletes.
As General Education Minister V Sivankutty took the stage, over a dozen sigils rose from the oval ground, each representing the state’s 14 districts. Amid this field of colours, one more sigil rose red and white; representing Malayali students in the Gulf who are competing for the first time in the meet.
That’s not all. The week-long event, which will see nearly 24,000 students compete, is also being held in an Olympics-style format a move which was welcomed by its brand ambassador and hockey legend P R Sreejesh. Sharing the stage with him and also inaugurating the event was actor Mammootty, whose arrival had the crowd erupt in applause.
The torch procession which began from Durbar Hall Ground carrying the trophy reached the main venue just as the sun dipped below the stadium’s lone stand. While high jump star Jewel Thomas received the trophy, the torch was handed over to four women footballers Akhila and Shilji Shaja, and Yashwita S and Anu Binu.
The latter two are among the nearly 1,500 differently-abled students who will be competing in the meet: another first. Sreejesh, who finally took over the torch, lit the lamp, set up in the hands of Thakkudu, with differently-abled student Sreelakshmi; thus ‘opening’ the Meet.
However, the event was not without hiccups. This, despite forming a special committee to stave off just that. To name a few: lack of water coolers or tents, a big pothole outside the stadium’s main gate, no clear directives to participating schools coming from afar, and failure to streamline rush at metro stations. We hope these chinks will be tended to in due time.