With a view to provide opportunities to the rural sports persons to participate in the State and national level sports competitions, last year also, the State Government, through the sports and youth welfare department had organised rural sports competitions from development block level to State level under the Panchayat Yuva Kreeda evam Khel Abhiyan (Pykka).
A total of 18,272, district and state level players had participated in these competitions, including 15,065 players from district level and 207 from state level competitions.
According to the officers of Sports and Youth Welfare Department, under the Pykka scheme, football, volleyball, kabaddi, kho-kho, athletics, hockey, weightlifting, archery, handball and wrestling competitions were being organised for the under-16 boys and girls.
They said, under the state level rural sports competitions, last year on December 2 and 3, handball and hockey competitions had been organised in Korea district, whereas, on December 22 and 23, volleyball and athletics competitions had been organised in Kabirdham district.
Similarly, football and weightlifting competitions had been organised in Jashpur district on January 3 and 4 and from January 4 to 6, 2013 kabaddi, kho-kho and wrestling competitions had been organised in Raigarh district, the officers added.