The Hindu : Sport : Gogoi lights Games torch

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Friday, Feb 09, 2007
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Gogoi lights Games torch

K. Keerthivasan

PHOTO: R. RAGU

THE LEADING LIGHT: Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister, Assam, handing over the torch to the Assam athletes.

GUWAHATI: The torch rally is scheduled at 7.30 a.m. There is quite a bit of activity at the venue — North East Tennis Stadium in Dispur — as the officials and volunteers frantically run here and there to make the final arrangements. The appointment hour nears, but there is no sign of the chief guest of the function: Assam's Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

Barua, an organiser confirms: "Chief Minister will arrive only at 8.30 a.m." Representatives from different districts of Assam and some former athletes who have assembled for the function wait patiently — no other choice of course.

Prominent figure

The man whom the locals recognise and take pictures is that of Bhogeswar Barua, a former middle-distance runner. He is the chef-de-mission of the Assam team here. The Chief Minister arrives at 8.35 a.m. and the photographers crowd around him. In his speech, Gogoi welcomes those in the gathering in Assamese.

"We are happy to hold the 33rd National Games. It's good to see a large turnout of athletes despite the threat (from ULFA)," he says. He mentions a few former athletes of Assam who are present, thanks them for having graced the function and finally lights the torch.

Local athletes then carry the torch to the Indira Gandhi Stadium, which is four kilometres away from where the function is held. On Friday, during the opening ceremony, four prominent sportspersons — veteran athlete Tayabun Neesa, Bhogeswar Barua, former National table tennis champion Monalisa Baruah Mehta, and former National badminton champion Dipankar Bhattacharjee — that Assam has produced will carry the torch in the 400m stretch and formally declare the Games Open.

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