Odisha largely free from caste, religion resonance in electoral politics
Caste calculation, religious affiliation has never emerged as a tool to woo voters.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday welcomed Olly, the official mascot of the 22nd Asian Asian Athletics Championships, after it completed roadshows at all the 30 district headquarters of the state.
Patnaik welcomed Olly with a flower bouquet at the state secretariat. He had earlier flagged off the roadshow on June 12.
Olly belongs to the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles that travel thousands of miles in the ocean and arrive in millions every year on the Rushikulya and Gahirmatha beaches of the state for their annual nesting.
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The mascot toured all the district headquarters of Odisha to generate awareness amongst the people of the state.
This is the third time the Asian Athletics Championships are being held in India, after New Delhi (1989) and Pune (2013).
The four-day championship will begin on July 6 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Meanwhile, India has announced a 95-member squad which includes five players from Odisha.
Sprinter Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, Amiya Mallick, Poornima Hembram and Jauna Murmu from Odisha are part of the Indian contingent.
Amiya, Srabani and Dutee will participate in 100m, 200m sprint and 4X100 relay respectively while Jauna Murmu will run in 400 hurdles. Poornima Hembram will participate in heptathlon event.
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