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Impressive start to railway athletic meet

Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

Mega event: A view of Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar, the venue of All India Railway Athletics Championship . —

BHUBANESWAR: The 73rd All India Railway Athletics Championship kicked off to a colourful start with schoolchildren of Bhubaneswar producing spectacular cultural shows at Kalinga Stadium here on Friday.

Inaugurating the grand event, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, "Railways have always encouraged sports in the country. I hope it continues to generate more employment avenues for the grooming sports talent of Orissa."

The East Coast Railways (ECoR) should work towards creating sports infrastructure in the State as well as encouraging sports persons, he said.

Addressing hundreds of schoolchildren, spectators and athletes, Chairman of the Railway Board K.C Jena said Indian Railways had long tradition in promoting sports in the country.

"The proposal of forming one full-fledged Women’s Hockey Team at Bhubaneswar is under consideration at Railway Board and the first Railway Stadium to host International Cricket Championship here would be completed soon," Mr. Jena said.

Earlier in the morning, ECoR General Manager S.S. Khurana lighted the torch atop Khandagiri Hill and handed over to sprint queen P T Usha who brought it down to the foothill. From there, Arjuna Awardee Shiney Wilson and former Indian Women’s Cricket captain Padmashree Diana Edulji also carried the torch.

The torch was further carried by the athletes of sports hostel through different localities of the city to Kalinga Stadium.

Wonder kid Budhia Singh, Arjuna Awardee Rachita Panda Mistry and Indian Women Hockey Captain Jyoti Sunita Kulu also ran small distance carrying the torch.

Finally, the torch was brought by a sportsman riding a horse.Hundreds of people gathered along the road to witness the event in the morning. A colourful march-past was also organised in the stadium where participants of all zonal railways and production units of Indian Railways took part. A scintillating cultural programme was staged. Cultural troupes from Kolkata and school children came in different attires and performed which marked exhilarating beginning of the championship.

Among others, State Sports Minister Debasish Nayak, president of East Coast Railway Sports Association D.K. Samantaray and association secretary S.K.Patra were present on the occasion. About 500 athletes from 23 teams are participating in 44 events during the four-day-long event.

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