The 58th state-level athletic meet for secondary and higher secondary students from all over Tamil Nadu was inaugurated at Nehru Stadium on Friday. As many as 2327 athletes form 16 zones including Coimbatore, Chennai, Cuddalore, Dindigul, and Thirunelveli are participating in the events.

Teams from sports hostels of various districts are also participating. The events are to be conducted under three different age categories – under-12, under-14, and under-19.

Addressing the gathering, S.P. Velumani, the Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, said that the government has stepped up the relief measures in all parts of Chennai and Cuddalore. “Many fake gossips are being spread over by the DMK party members against the flood relief measures,” he said. He further alleged that all the encroachments in the state took place during the regime of DMK.

On sports, Velumani said that the government has allocated more funds for its development in the state.

The meet, which was declared open at 9 am, will conclude on December 20. The Coimbatore district collector Archana Patnaik, Minister of School Education K.C. Veeramani, and officials from the Coimbatore District Administration participated in the event. The district collector, along with the school education minister, had formed a 30-member team to make all the arrangements for the meet.