Stars Missing As Uttarakhand National Games Begin On Tuesday

Most of the established stars will be missing in action but thousands of other athletes, including the up and coming ones, will get the platform to make a mark in 32 disciplines when the 38th National Games, spread over seven venues in the hill state, begin in Dehradun on Tuesday with the official opening ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will declare the Games open at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium to kick-start the 18-day national showpiece, which will see participation of around 10,000 athletes and officials from 38 teams. In terms of sheer number of athletes, the event is among the biggest in the world, though its relevance in the country's international success has been debatable.

This time, the Games will be held in seven cities of Uttarakhand with Dehradun being the main venue.

The other venues of the Games, which will continue till February 14, are Haridwar, Nainital, Haldwani, Rudrapur, Shivpuri and New Tehri.

The last edition in Goa in 2023 saw competitions being held in five cities.

Hosting the National Game holds a special significance for Uttarakhand as the state is celebrating the 25th year of its creation.

'Mauli', inspired by Uttarakhand's state bird 'Monal', is the Games mascot, symbolising the region's unique natural beauty, diversity and cultural heritage.

The Games will feature all the top Olympic sports like athletics, swimming, shooting, wrestling, badminton, hockey, boxing, weightlifting, football, tennis and table tennis. Alongside, some traditional games like kabaddi and kho kho will also be making an appearance.

Four sports -- kalarippayattu, yogasana, mallakhambh and rafting -- will be demonstration (non-medal) sports.

Except for shooting, a major Olympic sport, most of the