Hima Das, Kiren Rijiju to be present at Khelo India opening ceremony

The opening ceremony on Friday is expected to be a glitzy affair with the innovative use of lighting and technology.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, Athlete Hima Das, Boxer Lovlina Borgohain and Heptathlete Swapna Barman unveiled the player's jersey of the third edition of Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati on Saturday.

A ‘glitzy’ opening ceremony will kick off the third edition of Khelo India Youth Games, where 6,800 athletes from 37 states and union territories will be competing in 20 sports.

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will be present at the opening ceremony, which will be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here on Friday.

A host of star athletes including the country’s sprint sensation Hima Das, will also be there.

“The competition has started a sporting revolution in India and we couldn’t be more proud of the fact that the tournament is being held in Assam. I wish the athletes all the very best,” Sonowal said in a release.

The opening ceremony on Friday is expected to be a glitzy affair with the innovative use of lighting and technology. Special acts have been devised to celebrate the natural beauty and cultural wealth of Assam along with heroes of the state.

The third edition of the Khelo India Youth Games will have several first time initiatives by the government, including having aircrafts dedicated to ferry athletes from Kolkata and Delhi to Guwahati and a go-green programme that will see electric cars at the venues.