National Sports: 278 contestants from Odisha in 22 sports

Bhubaneswar: The 36th edition of the National Sports is going to be held from September 27 to October 10 in various cities of Gujarat. Athletes from 37 states and Union Territories are participating in this sport. 36 events will be contested in national sports. Odisha will send a jumbo team to participate in various events in 22 sports.

A total of 278 people including sportspersons and support staff are going to represent Odisha in these 22 sports. Many international sportsmen are on the team.

Odisha participating in sports include women’s and men’s football, women’s hockey, athletics, women’s and men’s gymnastics, women’s and men’s swimming, women’s and men’s weightlifting, women’s and men’s beach volleyball, women’s and men’s rugby, women’s and men’s canoeing, women’s and men’s archery. , Women’s and Men’s Rowing, Women’s and Men’s Lawn Bowls, Women’s Shooting, Men’s Skating, Women’s Kho Kho, Women’s and Men’s Boxing, Women’s and Men’s Judo, Women’s and Men’s Yoga, Women’s Usu, Women’s and Men’s Wrestling, Men’s Triathlon, Men’s Fencing (riding) and women’s cycling. Indian women’s hockey team vice-captain Deep Grace Ekka will lead the Odisha women’s hockey team. The team has international players like Rashmita Minj, Namita Toppo, Mariana Kujur, and Nikita Toppo. The state will be represented in the women’s track and field by Olympians Ankshi Chand, Shrabni Nand, Pragya Prashanthi Sahu, and Sushmita Tiga. In the men’s sprint, there are Amiya Mallik, Sivariya Kumar Majhi, Laluprasad Bhoi, Kishore Kumar Jena, and Anand Kumar.

In women’s weightlifting, Sneha Soren, Pramila Krishani. International medalist Vijayini Sriyanka Shadangi is on the Odisha team in women’s shooting. The women’s and men’s lawn bowl teams, who have qualified for the national games for the first time, will also compete. For the first time, 8 Odia people are going to participate in national sports. There are 2 orthodox wrestlers in wrestling. International medalists in cycling include Vijayini Swasti Singh and Rainishrani Barik. Apart from sportspersons, technical officials and referees in various sports from Odisha are going to participate in national sports.