Date:03/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/03/stories/2007110358600200.htm

Other States - Orissa

Women sports to make a comeback

Staff Reporter

BERHAMPUR: The city is getting prepared to host the State Women’s Sport meet to be held at the Berhampur stadium from Nov 5 to Nov 7.

The sporting event has been organized after a long gap as it was discontinued after the super cyclone of 1999. According to the Ganjam Collector V.K.Pandian, who is monitoring the arrangements, over 900 sportswomen and over 200 officials from the State would participate in the three day event. The selected sportspersons in the fields of athletics, Volleyball and Kabaddi would take part in the National Women’s Sport Festival to be held in Chennai in November.

Teams for Basketball and Kho Kho would also be selected for the national women’s tournaments to be held in Jammu in December. The large number participating sportspersons would be accommodated in the city schools, said District Sports Officer (DSO) Gadadhar Rath. Around Rs. 12 lakh have been spent to renovate the Berhampur Stadium for the sporting event.

Mass marathon

Highlight of the inauguration of the sports meet on November 5 would be a mass marathon, which would culminate at the Berhampur Stadium.

Around 2,000 persons have already registered for the marathon, which would be held for creating AIDS awareness among the people.

Meanwhile, the municipality and administration are gearing up to remove encroachments on the main roads through which the marathon would pass.

Ten veteran athletes would also be honoured on the occassion.