Dehradun, Jan 29: A modest but colourful opening ceremony showcasing Uttarakhand’s religious heritage and bio-diversity kicked off the 38th National Games in Dehradun on Tuesday with guest of honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterating his commitment to bring the 2036 Olympics to India during his address.
Around 10,000 athletes are gearing up to compete for podium finishes across 32 disciplines in the Games that will run till February 14.
Events will be held across seven cities of the hill state with Dehradun being the main venue.
Around 450 gold medals, and a similar number of silver and bronze medals are at stake.
Modi declared the Games open after the teams marched in and he was presented the flame at the ceremony.
Earlier, Modi arrived at the stadium riding on a decked-up golf cart along with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
An estimated 25,000 spectators packed the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium despite the chilly weather to catch the ceremony live.
The PM had also opened the last two editions of the Games in 2022 (Gujarat) and 2023 (Goa).
Indian Olympic Association President P.T. Usha and Commonwealth Games Federation chief Chris Jenkins were also in attendance at the ceremony.
Uttarakhand’s own Lakshya Sen, a world championships medal-winning shuttler, brought the Games torch and handed it over to Modi, who placed it in its designated place.
Most of the established sporting stars of the country such as javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, shuttler P.V. Sindhu, shooter Manu Bhaker are giving it a miss, leaving the stage for other athletes to make a mark.