Bhubaneswar : In collaboration with the Odisha Athletics Association and under the aegis of the Athletics Federation of India, the Sports and Youth Services Department is hosting the 35th East Zone Junior Athletics Championship from October 7 to 9 in Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
A total of 12 states including Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur are participating in the event.
The competition will witness the participation of over 600 young athletes in various track and field events. Bihar will have the largest contingent in the championship with 134 athletes, while Nagaland's contingent will be the smallest with only 5 athletes participating.
A strong team of 115 athletes is leading Odisha's contingent in the three-day long competition. Several students training in the Odisha-Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance Centre and sports hostels under the Sports & Youth Services Department will also partake in the championship, a release said.
According to captain Dinesh, Odisha provides all types of facilities and this meet will provide good exposure to athletes towards national level competitions, ahead of the junior athletics nationals. He said, "This competition will be like a preparatory meet for these young athletes ahead of the junior national athletics championships which will be held in the last week of October'.
It is to be noted that the 39th National Junior Athletics Championships 2024 are scheduled to be held at Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium from 25 to 29 October.
Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly, Suryabanshi Suraj expressed his delight at hosting the event in Kalinga Stadium and said, "This aligns with the government's vision to make Odisha a major hub for hosting several national and international sporting events of repute. I am extremely delighted that we are hosting the junior national championship this year and I wish all the participants the very best."