Kozhikode, 13 Oct (H.S.):

Around 15,000 athletes, team managers, officials and organisers will converge on Kozhikode for the 68th Kerala State School Sports Meet, scheduled from October 25 to 31 across 10 venues.

The opening ceremony on October 25 will feature a march past by 4,000 athletes and cultural performances involving 3,000 students, setting the stage for a week of sporting contests.

Inclusive competitions for children with disabilities will be a major highlight, with more than 2,000 participants expected to compete in various events on October 26. Another 48 students from the Gulf region will participate in athletics and games.

The National Institute of Technology Calicut campus will host the main track and field events from October 27, bringing together around 2,800 athletes in the subjunior, junior and senior categories. The campus will also stage the cross country race on October 30, alongside inclusive athletics and football.

Badminton and inclusive badminton will be held at the indoor stadium of St Joseph’s College, Devagiri. Presentation Higher Secondary School, Chevayur, will host girls’ basketball, while boys’ matches will take place at Silver Hills Public School.

Kunnamangalam Higher Secondary School will stage tug of war and inclusive cricket. PTM Higher Secondary School, Kodiyathur, and Wadi Rahma English School will host karate, wushu, softball, baseball and ball badminton.

Yoga competitions will be held at REC Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Chathamangalam, while St Xavier’s Upper Primary School, Peruvayal, will host netball and throwball.

Seventeen subcommittees headed by MLA Razack Master are coordinating preparations. Organisers have assigned 620 officials, 140 selectors and 100 technical officials to oversee the competitions.

Accommodation for athletes and team managers is being arranged in 450 classrooms across 50 schools. Two kitchens will prepare meals, with distribution centres at every competition venue. School buses will transport participants between their accommodation and the venues.

The meet’s official mascot, “Kuttu”, was designed by R.S. Lakshmi Nandana, a Class VIII student of KNNM Higher Secondary School in Kollam district.

The arrangements cover competition management, accommodation, meals and transport for the thousands of participants arriving from across Kerala and the Gulf region for the weeklong school sporting event.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman