Kottayam: The 61st state school athletics meet will be held at the municipal stadium at Pala from October 20 to 23. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the meet and the synthetic track stadium at 4 p.m. on Friday. sports and youth affairs minister A.C. Moideen will preside over the meeting. Education minister C. Raveendranath will deliver the keynote address. Minister for forests K. Raju will distribute the media awards. Former chief minister Oommen Chandy will honour the student who designed the logo of the sports meet. Mr K.M. Mani, MLA, and Mr Jose K. Mani, MP, among others will attend the function.
It is after 25 years that the event is being held at Pala where it was conducted earlier in 1992. At least 2,800 boys and girls will contest in the sub-junior, junior and senior categories in 95 events. There will be 350 officials in charge of coordination and 200 escorting officials. The cash prizes for the first three schools have been increased. The first prize winning school will get Rs 2,20,000, the second Rs 1,65,000 and the third Rs 1,15,000.
The synthetic track stadium is being readied for the event. The ground will not be inundated even by heavy rain. Help desks will be set up at the Kottayam railway station and the KSRTC bus stands at Kottayam and Pala to welcome the participants. Medical facilities, including ambulances, will be arranged at the stadium. Food will be served at the St Thomas higher secondary school by maintaining the ‘Green Protocol’.
