All set for the 31st National Games

After three postponements, India's biggest sports extravaganza will finally get rolling in Ludhiana on Monday with a glittering ceremony signaling the start of the 31st National Games.

The twelve-day Games originally scheduled to be held last year to mark the centenary celebrations of Khalsa but were postponed thrice due to various reasons.

Home Minister L K Advani will declare the Games open at the Guru Nanak stadium - the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies - in the absence of president K R Narayanan, who is indisposed.

About 10,500 sportspersons, including officials, are expected to take part in the sports extravaganza. Eleven teams, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Kerala, Manipur and Maharashtra have already arrived for the Games.

Punjab is hosting the games for the second time since independence. The first was in 1956 when all the disciplines were held in Patiala, venue of six events this time.

Six events including the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in Ludhiana, six events in Jalandhar, four each in Chandigarh and Anantpur Sahib and one in Mohali.

Ludhiana will host Athletics, Handball, Volleyball, Cycling, Basketball and Hockey (women). Jalandhar will host Equestrian, Wrestling, Badminton, Football, Hockey (men) and Table Tennis, while Gymnastics, Boxing, Archery, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho and Weightlifting are to be held in Patiala.

Chandigarh will host Rowing, Golf, Tennis and Canoeing and Kayaking while Anandpur Sahib will host Fencing, Judo, Taekwondo and Netball. Shooting will be held in Mohali.

Three disciplines Netball, Canoeing and Kayaking have been introduced for the first time, said Union Minister and Punjab Olympic Association president Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa .

Dhindsa said Rs 46 crore would be spent on the Games, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would preside over the closing ceremony on December 1, he added.

The Games torch, which arrived in Chandigarh last evening, left the nearby venue of Mohali this morning for its onward journey.

The torch relay, which started from Yadavindra stadium in Patiala, one of the six venues, will reach the Guru Nanak stadium after passing through Jalandhar.

The Games will not be having aquatics and Dhindsa said the demand of the Swimming Federation of India for holding the event at the Talkatora stadium in New Delhi had been turned down.