By Mohammad Suhail Abbasi
DEHRADUN, 05 FEB: These days Mouli is being highlighted in the news as the 38th National Games are ongoing at the Maharana Pratap Sports College, here. Mouli is the mascot of these games. People’s attraction towards Mouli is increasing. ‘Mouli’ is based on the state bird, Monal.
There is often a crowd of spectators to see Mouli. On Wednesday, students of Doon Defence Academy, Little Angel School and Him Jyoti School reached the sports venue to enjoy the competitions, in which they had a lot of fun with Mouli. Meanwhile, an arm-wrestling competition was also organised, in which Suraj of Doon Defence Academy won in the men’s category and Rishu in the women’s category.
The players who have come from all over the country are also looking happy with Mouli, in which they are enjoying the beauty of Uttarakhand by dancing to Pahadi songs with the mascot.
At the same time, Indian service soldiers are also showing their talent in the games. As many as 210 players from 19 states and SSCB from across the country are participating in the rowing competition organised in the Tehri Dam Lake, which includes 114 male and 96 female players. Out of these, the coaches of 17 teams are Subedars of the Indian Army. Many of them are still a part of the Indian Army, while some are preparing Arjuns like Guru Dronacharya even after retirement.
The 38th National Games Yogasana competition concluded with a colourful ceremony at Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Sports Stadium in Almora. On this occasion, Sports Minister Rekha Arya presented medals to the winners.
Sports Minister Rekha Arya said that it is a matter of pride for Almora to organise a Yogasana competition in the National Games. She said that the Asian Games of Yogasana are going to be held in less than 2 months, so the yoga players should understand that the world is now going to follow them. She expressed hope that, if India gets to host the Olympics in 2036, then Yogasana should also be included in it as a medal event.
