States » NorthPosted at: Oct 21 2026 7:21PM


Himachal: Shimla Rural Sports Mahakumbh from Oct 25, 9,500 participants expected

Shimla, Oct 21 (UNI) The Shimla Rural Sports Mahakumbh (festival), being organised under the theme ‘Khelenge Bhi, Khilenge Bhi’ (We will play, we will bloom), will commence at Banuti on October 25, with 9,553 players and organising committee members expected to participate in the 22-day event.
The opening ceremony will be held on October 25 at Banuti, while the concluding ceremony will take place at Sunni on November 15. Cash prizes worth Rs 21 lakh, along with trophies and mementoes, will be awarded to the winners.
Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister and Shimla Rural MLA Vikramaditya Singh, who is also the president of the Himachal Pradesh Sports, Culture and Environment Association, Shimla, shared details of the event at a press conference here on Wednesday.
He said the sports event had been organised in his constituency for several years to provide young people, women and men across age groups with a platform to showcase their sporting talent. However, the event could not be held during the past two years due to natural disasters in the state. It is now being organised on a larger scale to encourage participation in sports and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Singh said the primary objective of the Mahakumbh was to create awareness among youth about the growing menace of drug abuse and motivate them to engage in sporting activities.
According to the minister, 211 teams have registered for cricket and 260 for tug-of-war. Volleyball will see participation from 50 teams, while 60 teams each will compete in men's and women's kabaddi. In badminton, 60 teams each in the men's and women's categories have registered.
The folk dance competition has attracted 100 teams, while around 400 women have registered for fashion shows and modelling events. Recreational activities, including musical chairs, will also form part of the programme.
Cricket matches will be held at Sunni, Karyali, Kunihar and Kandaghat, while competitions in other sports will be organised at Sunni and Banuti. A 400-member organising committee has been constituted to ensure the smooth conduct of the event.
Singh said participation would be restricted to residents of the Shimla Rural Assembly constituency. Players would not be permitted to represent teams from panchayats other than their own, ensuring that local talent gets an opportunity to compete at the grassroots level.
Kits will be provided to all participants, except those competing in tug-of-war. Players will also receive the necessary equipment and playing kits for their respective sporting disciplines.
The minister expressed hope that participants would uphold the spirit of sportsmanship and give their best during the competitions. He said the initiative aimed to strengthen sports culture in rural areas and provide young people, women and men with a major platform to display their abilities.
The winners will be felicitated during the closing ceremony at Sunni on November 15.
UNI BN
Tags: #Himachal: Shimla Rural Sports Mahakumbh from Oct 25# 9#500 participants expected
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