Art, culture and youth affairs minister Sukhda Pandey addresses the news meet in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, Feb. 14: March is set to keep sportspersons of the state busy.

Various sporting events, including World Women Kabaddi Championship, state- and national-level senior volleyball championship and cycle rally-cum-race, would be held next month as part of Bihar Divas celebrations. Moin-ul Haq Stadium, Kankerbagh Sports Complex and Bihar Veterinary College ground among others will host the events.

Art, culture and youth affairs minister Sukhda Pandey announced the programmes today during a news meet. She added that March would be dedicated to various sports activities.

“The state government intends to improve the condition of sports in Bihar. We have planned a series of events in March, when Bihar celebra- tes 100 years of its statehood,” she said.

The kabaddi championship for women, to be held at the Kankarbagh sports complex, would be the first such event in the state capital. Players from 16 countries would take part in the event, which would be held between March 1 and 4.

The junior volleyball championship would be held in Buxar from March 3 to 6, while the national-level senior volleyball championship would be organised at Moin-ul-Haq Stadium from March 15-18. The two events would be played out for both men’s and women’s categories.

“The state-level volleyball championship would be played at MP High School of Buxar. About 550 players, both in men’s and women’s categories, from various districts of the state would take part in the event. The championship will be held in association with the Bihar Volleyball Federation,” Pandey said.

She added that the All India Volleyball Championship would be organised in association with the Dr Shivnarayan Singh Volleyball Tournament Committee.

Deputy inspector-general (human rights) Raveendran Sankaran, who is the organising committee member of the All India Federation Cup, said: “The championship would be organised jointly by Bihar Wrestling Federation and All India Wrestling Federation. About 250 wrestlers, who have taken part in national and international level wrestling championships, would participate in the event. However, the main attraction would be the participation of several Dronacharya and Arjuna awardees in the event.”

The championship will be held at the newly built Kankerbagh Sports Complex between March 11 and 13.On the cycle rally-cum-race, Pandey said: “The event will be organised in every district of the state from March 15-18. For this, district magistrates will get a sum of Rs 50,000. Of this, Rs 25,000 will go to the winner.”