National Inter District Athletics meet from today

VISAKHAPATNAM: The city is all set to host the three-day National Inter District Athletics Championship (NIDJAM) where more than 3,000 boys and girls from across the country are slated to participate in 30 events at the Rajiv Gandhi Port Diamond Jubilee Stadium from Saturday.The talented boys and girls will be picked up by zonal camps and then by national-level camps for selection to Indian teams of Under-14 and Under-16 categories to participate in various international events. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu will inaugurate the tournament on Saturday evening although the events will begin from morning.According to the Athletics Federation of India, 3,284 athletes, including 2,074 boys and 1,210 girls from 292 districts across the country, will take part in U-14 and U-16 categories. Each district team will consist of 13 players. There will be five events each in the U-14 boys and girls categories and 10 events each in the U-16 boys and girls categories. Arjuna awardee and former Asian Games champion Gurubachan Singh Ranadhawa will select kids eligible for training camps. Former Indian team coach JS Saini and renowned international athlete Anju Bobby George will also help Ranadhawa select talented youth, sources said.