Khali, Devvrat to open state Olympic games

Hamirpur, June 20

Former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar The Great Khali and Governor Acharya Devvrat will inaugurate the first-ever Himachal Pradesh State Olympic Games beginning June 22 (Thursday).

The inauguration will be held right after the five-day Olympic Torch Run reaches Hamirpur district, where a number of Bollywood celebrities are expected to be present during the opening ceremony.

The Himachal Pradesh Olympics Association (HPOA) is at present hosting the HP Olympic Torch Run, which began in Shimla on June 17 and has now reached Kullu.

The four-day event will witness tournaments in 11 sporting disciplines — hockey, athletics, boxing, basketball, judo, kabaddi, volleyball, wrestling, kho-Kho, weight-lifting and shooting — which more than 50,000 enthusiasts from across the hill state are expected to attend.

Commenting on it, HPOA president Anurag Thakur said: “The response to the Olympic Torch Run has been overwhelming and we are confident that the games will gather an even bigger number in terms of participation.” “The HPOA is committed towards providing an environment and platform for upcoming sportspersons whereby their talent can be discovered at the grassroots and then nurtured to the point where they may one day represent India at the Olympic Games.

“We firmly believe this initiative will win us a medal in the Olympic Games in the years to come,” Thakur added. — IANS