Bhubaneswar, October 03 (Odisha.in) A Torch Rally will be held from Historic Khandagiri Caves to Kalinga Stadium on 5th October2007.
S. S. Khurana, General Manager, East Coast Railway and later on East Coast Railway Sports Association will lit up the Torch Rally for the 73rd All India Railway Athletic Championship at 8.00 a.m. on 5th October on top off Khandagiri Hills in Bhubaneswar.
Khurana will hand over the Torch to Sprint Queen Padmashree P.T. Usha, Arjun Awardee Shinney Wilson and former Women Cricket Captain Padmashree Diana.
The Torch will be carried by them to the bottom of the hill and it will be further carried by eminent sports persons of Orissa and students of Sports hostel to the Kalinga Stadium from Khandagiri via Baramunda Bus stand, Fire Station Square, Delta Square, Stuwart School Square, Unit-8 DAV School, Power House Square and 120 Infantry battalion.
Inside Kalinga Stadium, the Torch will be carried by wonder boy Budhia Singh, Arjun Awardee Rachita Mistry, Cricketer Kulamani Parida and India Women Hokey Captain Jyoti Sunita Kulu.
Finally, the Stadium Torch will be lighted up by Sportsmen ridding over a horse for the first time in the history of Orissa sports.
Honble Chief Minister of Orissa, Shri Naveen Patnaik will inaugurate the Championship on 5th October2007 at 11.00 a.m. Shri Debasis Nayak, Honble Minister of Sports and Youth Services, Govt. of Orissa and Shri K. C. Jena, Chairman Railway Board will grace the occasion as guests of honour. Shri S. S. Khurana, General Manager, East Coast Railway will preside over.
The inauguration and light-up programme will be followed by an attractive cultural programme by two hundred professional from Kolkata and more than one hundred school children of Bhubaneswar, who will give their performances in the field.
An attempt will be made to give a mini-Olympic look to the opening Ceremony. 550 athletes from all over Indian Railways will participate in 24 events (both men and women) in this championship.
This All India Railway Athletic Championship is being organized from 5th to 8th of Oct. at Kalinga Stadium. All the Sports and game lovers of Orissa are welcome to witness the Grand Gala Opening Ceremony on 5th and to encourage the sprit of sportsmanship during the events from 6th to 8th of October. The entry to this competition is free.
Odisha.in