The five-day 80th All India Inter-University Athletic Championship will be conducted at Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri from January 2.
Organised by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Alva’s Education Foundation, Moodbidri, and Association of Indian Universities, about 5,000 athletes and 2,000 sports executives from over 400 universities of the country are expected to participate in it.
The events of the meet will begin from 6.30 a.m. on January 2 and the inaugural ceremony will be at 5.45 a.m. on the same day.
A procession comprising over 100 troupes representing various cultural and art forms from different parts of the country will start from Hanuman Temple at 3.30 p.m. for the inaugural event. Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports and Minister of the State for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju will inaugurate the event. The Vice-Chancellor of RGUHS S. Sachidanand will preside over.
Modernised photo-finishing technology will be used during the event and floodlight matches will be the attraction. Winners of the current day events will be awarded with prizes at 8 p.m. every day. Alva’s Education Foundation will provide special cash prizes for all winning athletes and meet records.
Free food and accommodation is provided to all the athletes, coaches, sports officials and special invitees. The meet will serve a wide variety of both South Indian as well as North Indian food, M. Mohan Alva, chairman, Alva’s Education Foundation said via a release.
Olympian athletes like M.R. Poovamma, Dharun Ayyasamy, Ashwini Akkunji, Satish Rai and Mohan will be felicitated on the inaugural event.
The RGUHS has contributed ₹1 crore to the meet, whereas State Sports Minister K.S. Eshwarappa has promised to release ₹50 lakh, he said.
