Nagpur: After a 12-year gap, Nagpur University will host the Maharashtra State Inter-University Sports Festival in Nagpur from Friday, January 12.
Maharashtra Governor and Chancellor of Universities Ramesh Bais will grace the inauguration ceremony of the University Sports Festival organised as part of centenary celebration of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University. The competition, which will be held in five sports categories, begins from January 12 at RTMNU’s Sports Complex in Ravi Nagar at 3 pm.
Former India kabaddi player Padma Shri Sunil Dabas will be the special guest of the inaugural function. Dr Subhash Chaudhary, Vice-Chancellor, RTMNU, Pro-VC Dr Sanjay Dudhe, Registrar Dr Raju Hiwase will also grace the function. This will be the third occasion that RTMNU is hosting the State Inter-University Sports Festival. Earlier, the festival was held in 1999 and then in 2012.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Chaudhary , informed that participants and officials from 23 universities of the State will be coming to Nagpur for the five-day meet. “Competitions will be held in athletics, basketball, table tennis, volleyball and badminton. The badminton matches will be held at Subhedar Hall while the table tennis events will be held at the Gymnasium Hall. Fourteen athletics events will be held at synthetic track, said Dr Chaudhary.
“Volleyball matches will be played on six courts while badminton ties will be held on four courts. Similarly, the basketball matches will be played on two courts and table tennis on six tables,” stated Dr Sharad Suryawanshi, Director, Department of Physical Education and Sports, RTMNU. “MLA Hostel, 160 tenements, Raj Nagar quarters will be accommodating all the players, officials and coaches, numbering around 2600,” Dr Suryawanshi said.
Dr Sharda Naidu has been appointed as the contingent manager of RTMNU teams. All medical assistance during the meet will be provided by Dande Hospital. The press conference was attended by Arjuna and Dronacharya Award winner Vijay Munishwar, Dr Dudhe, Dr Hiwase, Dr Dhananjay Welukar, Dr Manoj Ambadkar, Dr Nitin Jangitwar, Dr Vibekanand Singh, Dr Aditya Soni, Dr Sonali Shirbhate, Dr Archana Kottewar, and Dr Pinak Dande.
NADA team may conduct surprise tests:
The team from National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) may conduct tests during the inter-university competition, informed Dr Pinak Dande, who is handling the medical team during the state sports meet. In any official government tournament, the NADA team has the right to make a surprise visit for collecting samples of participating athletes, said Suryawanshi. Recently at the All India athletics meet in Chennai, NADA officials had made a surprise visit.
