The 36th National Games, Gujarat 2022 will be officially launched at the EKA Arena TransStadia here on Sunday evening in the presence of eminent dignitaries from the world of politics and sport.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will grace the mega event along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur. Over 9,000 distinguished guests from across the state are expected to attend the glittering ceremony.
The curtain-raiser event will witness the unveiling of the Games Anthem and Mascot, as well as a custom-curated website and mobile application, marking the beginning of the biggest sporting extravaganza in the country, the organisers informed in a release on Saturday.
"We are delighted and proud to host the National Games," Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel said. "We are eagerly waiting for India's top athletes and officials and are leaving no stone unturned to make this the best Games ever," he added.
The 36th National Games, whose theme is Celebrating Unity Through Sports, are being held after a gap of seven years and will take place from September 29 to October 12.
As many as six cities in the state -- Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar -- will play hosts. New Delhi will additionally host the track cycling event.
An estimated 7,000 athletes from 28 states and eight Union Territories are expected to take part across 36 disciplines that include most traditional Olympic sports. Indigenous sports like mallakhamb and yogasana will also feature in the National Games for the first time.
The Games were last held in Kerala in 2015.