IMPHAL: The 27th North East Games 2013 kickstarted with pomp and grandeur on Monday at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal.
The three-day event was opened by Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh.
All eight states of the region are participating.
Manipur PHED minister I Hemochandra Singh and Principal Secretary, Youth Affairs & Sports M Prithiviraj Singh were also present at the occasion.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the event, Ibobi said he welcomed the sports warriors from the North East states to the land of Manipur to participate in the Games.
He said the North East Games, earlier known as North East Sports Festival, was introduced to promote games and sports in the region and the first edition of the festival was held in Imphal in 1986-87.
The Chief Minister said that the National Sports Academy, established by the state government in 2007 with the objective to produce more athletes at the international level as well as Olympians from Manipur and the other North East states, has started showing results.
He also said special efforts have been made to enroll the talented children at the earliest from all the North-East states and that a team is being deputed every year from the academy to visit all states in the region to select and admit children into the academy.
At present, the academy has 50 national level players in different sporting disciplines, including one who has won a bronze medal at the Asian Judo Championship held in Taiwan, the Chief Minister said.
Ibobi further said that in the last 26 editions of the Nort East Games, Manipur emerged the winners 21 times and finished runners-up four times.
“I wish to all the participants all the very best and grand success to the North East Games 2013,” the Chief Minister added.
Meghalaya has sent 167 athletes, with both Assam and Manipur sending 223 each.
Mizoram has sent 208, Nagaland 148, Arunachal Pradesh 142, Tripura 136 and Sikkim 59. (NNN)