CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest for the opening ceremony of the sixth Khelo India Youth Games 2023 which will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Friday around 6 pm.
This is the first time that the games are being held in South India.
The games will be organised across four cities in Tamil Nadu - Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, and Coimbatore - from January 19 to 31.
During the inaugural ceremony, Modi will also launch and lay the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 250 crore, related to broadcasting sector. This includes the launch of the revamped DD Podhigai channel as DD Tamil; 12 Akashvani FM projects in 8 states; and 4 DD transmitters in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, the prime minister will lay the foundation stone for 26 new FM transmitter projects in 12 states.
A PIB release said the mascot for the games is Veera Mangai. Rani Velu Nachiyar, fondly called Veera Mangai, was a queen from Tamil Nadu who waged a war against British colonial rule. The mascot symbolises the valour and spirit of Indian women, embodying the strength of women power.
The logo for the games incorporates the figure of poet Thiruvalluvar.
Over 5,600 athletes will participate in the edition of Khelo India Youth Games, spread across 13 days at 15 venues with 26 sporting disciplines, 275 competitive events, and one demo sport.
Silambam, a traditional sport of the state, is being introduced as a demo sport for the first time in the history of Khelo India Youth Games.
Modi’s itinerary
PM will visit Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam on January 20 and Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram. He is expected to take holy water from the wells on Rameswaram temple premises to Ayodhya for Prana Prathishta of Ram temple to be held on Jan 22
Udhayanidhi inspects Race Course Ground, venue of Khelo India games
Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inspected the Race Course Ground, where the Khelo India Youth Games are scheduled to be held, on Wednesday.
Udhayanidhi said that the Khelo India Youth Games will begin here on January 23 and conclude on January 24. As part of the Games, gatka competitions will be held on January 23 and 24, following which kho kho competitions will be held between January 26 and January 30. “The sports and youth welfare department is taking all measures to organise these competitions effectively,” the minister said.
The minister also met Aayi Ammal, alias Pooranam, who had donated land worth Rs 7 crore to upgrade a government school in Kodikulam.
Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan and Commercial Taxes Minister P Moorthy accompanied the minister.