Over 550 sports persons of 23 Indian Council for Agricltural Research institutes in the Southern State are participating in the five-day southern zone inter-institutional sports meet, which began here today.

Athletics, volleyball, cycling, football, kabaddi, basketball, shuttle badminton, table tennis, chess and caroms tournaments are being held across venues such as Nehru Stadium, Corporation Ground, Officers’ Club and RS Puram Club in the city.

DRO Durai Ravichandran declared open the meet, in which sport persons from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are participating.

ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute Director Bakshiram said ICAR has been conducting the sports meet regularly annually year since 1979, forging a sense of unity among the staff.