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What's the story?
The Khelo India University Games, which are making their debut in India, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday in Odisha.
In case you did not know
The Khelo India University Games are an initiative that was taken by the Sports Ministry of India and will commence from 22nd February 2020 and will end on 1st March in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.
Heart of the matter
The Prime Minister is going to get the ball rolling for the Khelo India University Games through a video conference.
The sporting event is set to have as many as 3400 participants from 159 Universities across India. The total number of sports included in the Odisha extravaganza is 17. Out of these, some of the sports that are included are Rugby, Tennis, Table Tennis, Archery, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Volleyball, Football, Hockey, Judo, Swimming, Fencing, and Basketball.
Dutee Chand, the ace Indian sprinter, who is a student of the host university is eagerly looking forward to the games. She was quoted as saying:
“I may make the grade on the strength of my world ranking ( currently no. 54 in 100m and no. 43 in 200m) but I want to make it to the Olympic games by achieving the qualification standard."
The game is going to witness some other talented sportspeople like Jay Shah, the triple jumper from Mangalore University and fellow long-distance runner Narendra Pratap Singh.
On the other hand, Komal Jagadale, another long-distance runner from Pune University and sprinter Yarraji Jyothi, who hails from the Acharya Nagarjuna University, will also be seen in action. These athletes are sure to make the field and track events more competitive.
What’s next?
The athletes who emerge as medal winners in the Khelo India University Games, if groomed well, can go a long way and represent India in major international events like the Olympics.
