Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is ready to host the 35th National Games to be held from January 31 to February 14 this year. The state government is fully prepared to make the event a spectacular one. A couple of days back Kerala government has formally launched the official countdown to the same. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially inaugurate the occasion at the end of this month.
Great Indian Hornbill – Official Mascot of the 2015 National Games of India
Famous playback singer Hariharan has composed the theme song ‘Get Set Play’ for this grand fortnight long national sporting event. The song was launched at an official ceremony held at the end of December last year. The Great Indian Hornbill has been chosen as the official Mascot of the 2015 National Games of India.
Several venues are set to host the sporting gala, which is spread over seven districts in Kerala which is otherwise hugely popular for tourism and Ayurveda. The state is hosting the event after a long gap of 27 years. There is a huge sense of excitement and enthusiasm among the sports enthusiasts in regard to the ceremony.
Sachin Tendulkar meets National Games mascot Ammu
It is well known that Cricket is the most popular sport in India followed by Football and Hockey. Hence the sport icon Sachin Tendulkar is leaving no stone unturned to bring this edition of national games in the spotlight. Master blaster will take part in the “Run Kerala Run” event later this month to join the chorus for raising awareness of the people about the said event. Many people across the nation are expected to join the legend to participate in this marathon.
The inaugural ceremony of this multi sporting extravaganza will have lots of cultural programs. More than 2000 artists will perform and showcase their creative art to the guests on the first day of the event itself. These performances will throw light on India’s rich heritage and glorious cultures.
Both the opening and closing ceremony of this sports event will be organised in the newly built Greenfield Stadium at Karyavattom in Thiruvananthapuram. The closing ceremony of the 2015 National Games will be held on February 14 and President Pranab Mukherjee will be the chief guest on the occasion.
The first National Games of India was held in 1924 in Chennai (then known as Madras). Athletes from every nook and corner of India perform their best in the National Games. Various states compete against each other in the event. It is interesting to know that Chennai (Madras) has successfully hosted the occasion maximum number of times out of the 34 editions of this national sporting fiesta been held so far.
Usually the sporting ceremony is held after every two years, but there are some discrepancies in this regard. For instance the 24th National Games was held in 1970 but the 25th National Games was held in 1979 after a gap of nine years. Similarly, Ranchi hosted the last edition of the event in 2011 but the current one is being held after a gap of four years instead of 2013. However, it is expected that the National Games will be held regularly from next year onwards.
Tags: Cricket, Football, Get Set Play, Great Hornbill, Greenfield Stadium, Hockey, India, Kerala, National Games, Sachin Tendulkar, Thiruvananthapuram
