The 6th Swami Vivekananda National Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) Rural Sports began at Ranchi on Monday. As many as 600 teenage players from 16 states are participating in this tournament. Among the three events of this tournament including Judo, Weightlifting and Football, the latter was held on Monday. Remaining two events are scheduled from Tuesday onwards.
Unveiling this sports tournament, Cabinet Coordination Principal Secretary JB Tubid said that it is important for youngsters to follow the path of great leader Swami Vivekananda. He said, “Playing with devotion helps in boosting confidence.”
Notably, the list of the state teams comprise Haryana, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Mizoram, Punjab, West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka and Uttrakhand. As per official sources, the largest team of more than 70 participants is represented by Tamil Nadu. On the other hand, Gujarat is representing the smallest team here.
Football matches are being conducted at Birsa Munda Football stadium. Judo and Weightlifting events are to be organised at Athletics Stadium and Thakur Vishwanath Indoor Stadium.
The games would conclude on March 13. Players are accommodated at the Khelgaon flats along with 150 technical officials. “The hospitality arrangements here are far better than other states,” a technical official of Jharkhand who regularly visits other states of India during PYKKA games said. PYKKA is known to involve teenagers below the age of 16 years. This tournament is for ‘group-3’ category.