36th National Games 2022: Inauguration With Grand Opening Ceremony

The 36th National Games 2022 has been inaugurated at the world’s largest stadium – Narendra Modi Stadium. The PM said the days of nepotism & corruption are over.

The 36th National Games were formally inaugurated on Thursday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in this city with a beautiful opening ceremony that showcased Gujarat’s outstanding organizational abilities and the nation’s aim to establish itself as a soft power in sports.

More than one lakh spectators were enthralled by a stunning display of light and sound captured by 50 Doordarshan cameras that were deployed on short notice (15 days) at the largest cricket stadium in the world, which was transformed into a massive platform for the sporting extravaganza involving more than 8000 athletes from all over the nation.

No More Nepotism & Corruption In Sports
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the need to turn the nation into a sports superpower while launching the National Games.
“The players’ triumph and their outstanding performance also pave the way for the nation to triumph in other disciplines.
According to Mr. Modi, sports have a significant positive impact on the nation’s identity and reputation.

The Prime Minister emphasized the unwavering support that his Government provides for athletes and sports, particularly indigenous ones.
He claimed that the “Savaj” (lion) Games symbol embodied the spirit of fearless engagement among Indian youth.
PM Modi also said, “Sportspersons could not perform well in the past because of nepotism, corruption, we cleaned the system on coming to power.”

The Prime Minister virtually opened the Swarnim Gujarat Sports University, which will be located in Vadodara, while praising the Gujarat Government for quickly hosting the Games.

Bhupendra Patel, the chief minister of Gujarat, emphasized the state’s initiative to promote sports skill development and the use of technology in sports.

The conduct of the Olympics on such short notice, according to Rajeev Mehta, secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association, would encourage the nation to consider hosting the Olympics in 2036.

Athletes Took The Oath
At the occasion, which was also attended by notable athletes Neeraj Chopra, P.V. Sindhu, Gagan Narang, Ravi Dahiya, Mirabai Chanu, and Anju Bobby George, tennis star Ankita Raina took the pledge on behalf of the sportsmen.

The vibrant event, which contrasted traditional performances with cutting-edge augmented reality technology, started with musical performances by various artists, including Mohit Chauhan and Shankar Mahadevan, and continued with a march past by the participating teams and the display of a virtual “Torch of Unity.”

It came to an end with a captivating Gujarati folk dance called “garba,” which was timed to the Navaratri celebrations and was performed to songs from well-known Hindi movies.