KOCHI: The National Sports Day this August 29 could be a lot different from any other Kerala has ever seen. The state would witness a Flash Mob. And the cultural procession, on August 6, for the 62nd Nehru Trophy Boat Race in Alappuzha would have a special participant - Ammu, the Great Hornbill, the mascot for the 35th National Games.
That would simply be a start, if the National Games Secretariat authorities are to be believed. With the Games less than four months away, Kerala is poised to unleash an extensive publicity campaign for the country’s biggest sporting spectacle slated to be held in seven districts from January 31 to February 14 next year. Mass runs, skits and a Torch Relay are among the activities planned ahead of the second National Games to be allotted to the state.
While the ceremonial Torch Relay in itself would form a publicity vehicle at the national level, the cornerstone of the campaign in the state would be the ‘One Crore Run’.
“The idea behind the event is to organise simultaneous mass runs across the state on a single day involving one crore people, including dignitaries and celebrities,” NGS coordinator R Anilkumar told Express.
The decisions were taken at the 46th executive committee meeting chaired by Sports Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan a few days ago.