Organisers of Abhiruchi Sports Day at the news conference on Monday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Sept. 1: Manipur weightlifter L. Monika Devi will lead Abhiruchi Sports Day’s silver jubilee run in Guwahati on Wednesday. The organisers of the run invited her to take part as a mark of solidarity with neighbouring Manipur's fight against vested interests that allegedly dashed the ace sportsperson’s Olympics dream last month.

“Today it is Monika Devi from our neighbouring Manipur, tomorrow it could be somebody from Assam. Hence, it is time we joined Manipur’s fightback against vested interests from mainland India which have conspired against the weightlifting prodigy from the Northeast. She is reaching Guwahati tomorrow to lead the run. We will accord her a warm welcome,” the chairman of the organising committee of the run, Balendra Mohan Chakravarty, said this afternoon.

The day is celebrated statewide at over 100 places on September 3 every year to celebrate the birthday of the first Asian Games gold medallist as well as the state’s first Arjuna award winner Bhogeswar Barua.

Monika Devi will lead the run from Chandmari flyover here.

On the day’s programme, Chakravarty said unlike the earlier editions, outstanding sports personalities would not be felicitated on Wednesday but during the main silver jubilee function in December.

This time, the run that will culminate in Nehru Stadium will be followed by a dance and aerobics competition among children from nearly 50 schools in the city.

Besides, the heads of about 70 educational institutions in the city will be felicitated to express gratitude for their service to make the event a success every year.

On the silver jubilee function in December, Chakravarty said an Australian cricketer and an Olympian from any Asian country would be invited as special guests. He hinted that Steve Waugh or Brett Lee would be contacted for their availability.

The main function here will also comprise a two-day seminar on the importance of physical education as a subject in school curriculum and a daylong indigenous sports festival.