North East's First Para Sports Meet Kicks Off With Grand Opening Ceremony In Guwahati's Sarusajai Stadium
In a historic event, the North East Para Sports Meet 2024 officially began today in Guwahati’s prestigious Sarusajai Stadium, with over 575 para-athletes from six northeastern states participating in this milestone sporting extravaganza. The meet, which will conclude on November 29, aims to provide a platform for athletes with disabilities to showcase their talents.
The meet was inaugurated by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, CMD of Pride East Entertainments Private Limited, who expressed her enthusiasm about the event, stating that it is "a big day for the entire Northeastern region" and is essentially a narrative of hope, success, smiles, and aspirations. According to Sharma, the main objective behind organizing this event was to give specially-abled children a platform to nourish their talents and bridge the gap between ability and disability.
Jayawant Gundu Hamanawar, Secretary General of Paralympic Committee of India, further spoke about the benefits of such an initiative, emphasizing that it would promote growth in para sports across the eight northeastern states.
The event is being organized by Udayachal, a unit of the Jadav Chandra Bhuyan Memorial Trust, and will take place for three days at three venues: Sarusajai Stadium, Vandya International School, and Udayachal. The five sporting disciplines - Para Athletics, Para-Badminton, Para Swimming, Para Table Tennis, and Para Boccia – would see participants competing in a bid for supremacy.
Six states from the Northeast have sent representatives to this meet: Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and Sikkim. The organizers emphasize that this event will provide regional para-athletes an invaluable opportunity to shine on the national stage and make a lasting impact in the sporting calendar of the region.
The Jadav Chandra Bhuyan Special trophy would be awarded to the state with the highest number of medals won by its participants at the end of the meet. Organizer Riniki Bhuyan Sharma also took part in a special dance performance by Para-athletes as an integral part of the grand opening ceremony, adding vibrancy and color to the event.
Syed Zarir Hussain, Vice-President, Media, Pride East Group, Rajib Dey, Organizing Secretary of North East Para Sports Meet, were also present at the inaugural event. They praised Udayachal, a CSR initiative by Pride East Entertainments, for playing a pivotal role in hosting this monumental sporting event.
Assuming its historical and cultural significance, the third edition of Para Sports in Northeast India promises to be an epoch-making moment in regional sports calendar and an invaluable opportunity for the specially-abled athletes from the northeast region.