Bhubaneswar: The 22nd edition of the Asian Athletics Championship is all set to be kicked off by Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar today. Final touches are being lent to preparations for the opening ceremony of the championship, which will culminate on July 9.
The opening ceremony will be a colourful fest spanning over 2 hours with various cultural programmes lined up following the march-past of the athletes.
The major attractions of the opening ceremony include the rendition of popular Sambalpuri folk song ‘Rangabati’ by music director-trio, Shankar-Ehshaan-Loy. Similarly, Bollywood singer Shankar Mahadevan and ‘Thousand Hands’ dance group from Thailand will be enthralling the audience during the opening ceremony.
Odisha’s art and culture will also be showcased during the ceremony along with thrilling fireworks and laser light show.
Also Read: IAAF President happy with Kalinga Stadium infrastructure
Over 600 athletes from 43 countries will be participating in the event.