INDIAN hockey legend, former captain, Arjuna awardee and Padmashree Dhanraj Pillay will inaugurate the fourth edition of Khasdar Krida Mahotsav on Friday, May 13. The stage is set for the grand opening of the 16-day, 34-game KKM. The two-hour inaugural function will be held at Indoor Stadium of Divisional Sports Complex in Mankapur on Friday at 5.30 pm. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India and MLA Chandrashekhar Bawankule will be the chief guests.

 

Convener of the event and former Mayor Sandip Joshi will preside over. The inaugural function will begin with a special performance from the yogasana participants of India’s Got Talent. Participating players of all the 34 sporting disciplines will also perform march past. On the occasion, Member of Parliament Vikas Mahatme, MLA Mohan Mate, Ajay Sancheti, Sulekhatai Kumbhare, MLC Pravin Datke, MLA Krishna Khopde, MLA Vikas Kumbhare, MLC Nago Ganar, MLA Samir Meghe, MLA Parinay Fuke, former city Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari, Ramdas Ambatkar, Sudhakar Deshmukh, Anil Sole, Girish Vyas, Nanaji Shamkule, Sudhakar Kohale and Milind Mane will share the dais. The events will be played at around 40 venues of the city. A total of 1064 teams, around 3765 officials and over 40,000 participants will take part in the fourth edition. During the concluding ceremony on May 28, as many as 560 trophies, 7830 medals and a prize money of Rs 93 lakh will be distributed amongst the podium finishers. In addition, many individual awards will also be given during the championship. During the team event, the best player in every match will also be given an award.