State School Athletic Meet begins; Palakkad leads on Day 1

Three football academies have been started under the leadership of the sports directorate and Sports Council.

Paramendra Kumar Patel in action at the National School Athletics meet on Saturday. (File photo | Rajeev Prasad)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 64th Kerala State School Athletics Meet began in the capital after a gap of two years, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurating the event on Saturday. As many as 2,737 athletes from 14 districts are participating in 98 events in six age categories in the four-day meet. Pinarayi Vijayan said that the government is taking necessary steps to mould athletes by emphasising the importance of sports education.

Mohammed Niyaz, a Plus-I student of KHMHSS Alathiyur High School, Malappuram, who came with a bamboo pole as he didn’t have the money to buy a proper pole for the pole vault competition, practises at the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram | Vincent Pulickal

“The athletics training project for 5,000 children will be implemented in collaboration with the National Athletic Federation. In the first phase, the Sprint project will be implemented in 10 schools. Kunnumbhagam School in Kanjirappally will be upgraded as a government sports school.

Three football academies have been started under the leadership of the sports directorate and Sports Council. Two of these are for girls. The government is implementing a scheme to provide football training to 5 lakh children. Children in the 10 to 12 age group are being trained in 1,000 centres. About 5 lakh people will be trained in five phases,” the CM said.

On the first day, Palakkad district led with 58 points after contesting in 20 events. Ernakulam came second with 34 points, while Thrissur is in the third position with 19 points.