SWABHIMAN SPORTS FESTIVAL 2003
BEGINS IN THE CAPITAL
OVER
10,000 TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FESTIVAL FROM SEP. 27 TO OCT. 2
Swabhiman Sports Festival 2003, a State
level sports and cultural festival begins in the Capital today with
much fanfare. Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Hon'’le Minister for Human
Resource Development inaugurated a week-long festival at Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium. Shri Vikram Verma, Union Minister of Youth Affairs
and Sports presided over the inaugural function. Under the guided
leadership of Dr. Sahib Singh, the festival is being organized by
Indraprastha Sports Excellence Trust, a service oriented body with
a vision to promote sports throughout the country. Prof. V.K. Malhotra,
President, AICS was also present on the occasion.
Commencing on September
27, the 96th birth anniversary of the legendary Shaheed
Bhagat Singh, idol of India’s youth, and concluding on October
2, the birthdays Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, Swabhiman
Sports festival 2003 is a state level sports and cultural event
organized for the first time with the avowed aim of harnessing
the power of youth. The programme was inaugurated by Dr. Murli
Manohar Joshi, Hon’ble Union Minister for HRD, Science and Technology
& Ocean Development. Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble
Vice-President of India will be the Chief Guest for the closing
ceremony.
Speaking at the opening
ceremony, Dr. Joshi said that this festival is a noble initiative
and these kind of activities will help bring out the hidden talents
and provide the much needed platform to the Youth to show their
talent.
Shri Vikram Verma
while congratulating the students for their enthusiastic performance,
said that these children are the future of the country. With increasing
encouragement to sports, India stands a good chance of winning
medals in the coming Olympics.
Sports play an important
role in the development of youth. It not only leads to a healthy
mind and a body but also inculcates the spirit of unity, healthy
competition and discipline in the youth. With an objective to
develop the spirit of sportsmanship in the youth, the festival
has been initiated, says Dr. Sahib Singh, the Patron of the Trust.
A large number of sports professionals, including NIS coaches
are associated in this endeavour so as to further develop sports
and to groom world class sportsmen.
The Sports Festival
is a State level tournament for both Men and Women in 12 sports
disciplines and has participation at a team level as well as in
an individual capacity. Over 2,500 schools, colleges, sports club
and associations of Delhi comprising 10,000 participants are participating
to show their talent. The six-day Sports meet includes competitions
at State level in various sports Disciplines like Athletics, Handball,
Basketball, Hockey, Judo, Volley Ball, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, Football,
Wrestling and Jeet Kwondo. The winners will be given Trophies,
Gift Hampers and Cash Awards. The Trust would also help promote
them at the National and International Level.
Besides, the Sports
event, a Cultural extravaganza is also being organized, in which
the schools are participating at a competitive level.
The Sports festival
is recognized by Indian Olympic Association and Delhi Olympic
Association and leading associations and Sports bodies of Delhi
have joined hands to make it a grand success.
Shri V.K. Malhotra
congratulated Shri Sahib Singh for taking the initiative to hold
these games. For the first time, a NGO has held these games at
such a large scale he added.
The festival started
with Vande Matram. Thousands of children enacted different period
of our glorious past (Some were dressed as the freedom fighters).
Cultural extravaganza which lasted for more than two hours was
a tale of sheer inspiration and dedicated hard work of the participating
students.
