State Olympic Games begins today

Staff Reporter
CHIMPU, Mar 12: The third State Olympic Games, featuring 15 disciplines, is all set to begin here on Friday.
Over 1600 athletes from all 25 districts, the Rajiv Gandhi University Sports Control Board and the Arunachal Pradesh Police Sports Control Board will be seen in action during the four-day Games, dubbed ‘the biggest sporting extravaganza of the state’.
Kurung Kumey has sent 173 athletes – the largest contingent among the participating teams – and Longding has the smallest contingent with only 10 athletes.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu will inaugurate the Games at the Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy’s [SLSA] hockey field at 9:30 am.
Indian Olympic Association secretary-general Rajeev Mehta and Meghalaya Olympic Association president John F Kharshiing will also attend the inaugural ceremony.
The events will be conducted at different venues within the capital complex.
While the track & field events (athletics) will be conducted at the RGU ground, archery, boxing, football (women), judo, sports climbing, Taekwondo and Wushu will be held at SLSA complex.
Badminton and table tennis will be conducted at the Raj Bhavan badminton hall and the MLA cottage indoor hall, respectively. The venues for basketball and weightlifting are RGU and Nyikum Niya Hall, Nirjuli.
The shooting competition will be conducted at Lekhi, and karate at Marik Academy (of karate) in Chimpu.