The Sindh Chief Minister Dr Ghulam Arbab Rahim inaugurated XXXth National Games at a colourful opening ceremony under floodlights at Peoples Stadium Lyari on Monday evening.
Country's premier sporting extravaganza has attracted more than 4,000 athletes and officials representing 11 affiliated units of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) besides three debutantes Azad Kashmir, Fata and Islamabad and they took part an impressive march-past.
The six-day games, which are organised at cost of rupees 70 million will conclude at same venue on April 14. Northern Areas, which were granted special permission to take part in the games failed to turn up for the competition. Olympic torch which was escorted into stadium from mausoleum of the Father of the Nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who inaugurated the first-ever National Games in 1948 mark the opening of the games. Pakistan's top Olympic pugilist Asghar Ali Shah was given the honour to light the torch.
Chairman Organising Committee and Sindh Sports Minister Qamar Mansoor, City Nazim Mustufa Kamal, Balochistan Sports Minister and former Pakistan football Captain Colonel Younus Changezi (Retd) and President POA Lieutenant General Arif Hasan (Retd) and other officials were also present on the occasion. Pakistan's Asian rowing gold medalist Asim Aziz took the oath on behalf of all the athletes taking part in the games.
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