To develop sports activities among rural women a district level women sports event under Rajiv Gandhi Khela Abhiyan was organised here on Wednesday.
State Excise and Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout was proposed to inaugurate the event and attend the two-day annual sports meet as chief guest, besides local MlA Chirnajeev Biswal was to attend as chief speaker. MlAs Prashant Muduli and Dr Rajashree Mallick as well as a few other diginataries were to grace the occasion as guests. District Collector B K Upadhay was to preside.
The district sports department under leadership of woman sports officer Biswa Bijayeen Patnaik had made elaborate arrangements for making the event a success.
However, incongruity surfaced as none of the invited dignitaries reached at the stadium till Wednesday evening. As a result, the organizers had to make alternative planning for inauguration.
ADM Sarana Kumar Jena presided over the inaugural meet, while Zilla Parishad president DD Mohanty inaugurated the event as chief guest. Municipality chairman Biplab Choudhury was the chief speaker. Other guests were block chairman Prasanna Swain, project director DRDA Biswajit Das, sub collector Narahari Sethy and district sports association secretary Dola Govinda Dash. The inauguration event was delayed by a few hours as the original schedule went amiss.
The sports event was concluded on Thursday. On the valedictory meet, Jagatsinghpur MP Kulamani Samal attended as chief guest.
Women athletes from Balikuda block topped in Kabadi, while those from Tirtol excelled in Khho Khho.
The Jagatsinghpur representatives topped in hand ball and Raghunathpur women in Badminton, a sports department press release informed.