5 day National athletics championship begins today

Mangaluru: The 85th All India Inter-University Athletics Championship 2026 (Men & Women) will be held from Jan 12 to 16, at Swarajya Maidan, Moodbidri, under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). The championship is being organised by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), in association with Alva's Education Foundation, Moodbdiri.M Mohan Alva, Chairman, Alva's Education Foundation, told reporters on Sunday that over 4,288 athletes from more than 312 universities across the country, will participate in the five-day national event, along with nearly 1,000 sports officials. Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker Dr UT Khader will inaugurate the championship and receive the ceremonial sports torch on Jan 12. Health and family welfare minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and minister for medical education Dr Sharan Prakash Patil, will attend as chief guests. A procession showcasing India's diverse art and culture will be held as part of the inaugural ceremony, he said.Alva's Education Foundation is hosting the championship for the sixth time. Earlier, the institution had organised the 72nd, 75th and 80th editions with RGUHS, and the 79th and 81st editions with Mangalore University. This edition marks the fourth time the championship is being held at Alva's with the RGUHS, said Dr Alva.Competitions will be held on a state-of-the-art synthetic track with floodlight facilities, including advanced photo-finish technology for accurate results. The championship will serve as a benchmark for Khelo India and international university-level meets, he explained.Participants can register online. Several nationally and internationally acclaimed athletes will attend the inaugural ceremony. All participating athletes, coaches, officials and special invitees will be provided free food and accommodation. "Alva's Education Foundation produced 11 Olympians and 58 international-level athletes. In the three earlier championships hosted at Alva's under RGUHS, 48 athletes went on to compete at the international level," he added. Individual event winners will receive Rs 15,000 for 1st place, Rs 10,000 for 2nd place and Rs 5,000 for 3rd place, while athletes setting records will be awarded Rs 25,000. Team awards include Rs 50,000 for the overall champions, Rs 30,000 for the runner-up and Rs 20,000 for the second runner-up, he added.Syndicate members of the RGUHS, Dr Iftikhar Ali, Dr Shivasharana, senate member Dr Vaishali Srijith, and deputy registrar Dr B Vasantha Shetty were present.