Defence Minister and Lok Sabha member from Lucknow Rajnath Singh on Saturday inaugurated MP Khel Mahakumbh here on Saturday.

In his address , Rajnath Singh has requested Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to organise National Games in Uttar Pradesh.

Advertisement

” UP had organised National Games 75 years ago and now it should be held in the state,” he said among over 7500 sportspersons participating in his 4-days Mahakumbh at K D Singh Babu Stadium.

UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma were also present.

Rajnath Singh launched the game by blowing balloons by pressing the remote button in the stadium. As soon as he reached the stadium, thousands of school children welcomed him with sports performances.

Police and PAC soldiers took out the parade and saluted. The Mahakumbh will have events of athletics, volleyball, kabaddi, basketball, football, hockey, boxing and taekwondo competition for the next four days.

Around 7500 children from 350 schools in Lucknow will participate in these games. Apart from players of various sports, about 10,000 people were involved in the inauguration ceremony.

Meanwhile, on the occassion Defence Minister honoured 10 renowned sportspersons and 5 coaches.

The honoured sportsperson include

Para international shuttler and senior UP bureaucrat Suhas LY, former Olympian and Hockey player Dr. R P Singh, Iron Man of Asia Vijay Singh Chauhan , Padmashree Sudha Singh,Hockey player Lalit Upadhyay, Olympian Sayeed Ali , Jatashankar Mishra,Gulab Chand, Rajneesh Mishra and Gaurav Awasthi.