Shilpa Tirkey of Ramgarh displays her high jump prowess on the opening day of 10th Jharkhand State Women Sports Festival at JRD Tata Sports Complex on Monday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Nov. 8: In a dazzling show of women power, 600 athletes turned up to participate on the first day of the three-day Jharkhand State Women’s Sports Festival at the JRD Tata Sports Complex this afternoon.

East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Himani Pande inaugurated the event in the presence of officials from the art, culture, sports and youth affairs department as well as senior functionaries of Tata Steel sports department. Releasing a large bunch of colourful balloons into the air, she declared the festival open.

Adding the ethnic touch to the entire opening ceremony were schoolchildren who presented a dance recital depicting rural life in Jharkhand.

The festival comprises six events — athletics, handball, basketball, table tennis, swimming and tennis. Twenty-two districts and teams from Sports Authority of India (Ranchi) and Tata Steel Training Centre are taking part in the extravaganza.

According to Sarwar Imam, deputy director in the sports ministry, athletics is where the maximum participation is while few districts have shown interest in tennis and table tennis.

“We are hopeful of our athletes doing us proud. All the 22 districts, including East and West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Ranchi, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh, Latehar, Simdega, Palamau and Khunti, have come for the athletic events,” he added.

Barring swimming and tennis, competitions in other events were conducted in the presence of technical officials of Tata Steel sports department.

“The festival will serve as a basis for the selection of state athletes for the National Women’s Sports Festival to be held at Lucknow and Bhopal later this month,” said Imam.

He added that a team of selectors, which included coaches of Tata Steel sports department, had been constituted to pick the teams for the nationals.

“A three-day women’s sports festival will also take place in Ranchi on November 14. Performance of participants at both the venues will be taken into account before selecting a strong state unit for the nationals,” Imam said, adding efforts would also be made to hold a short training camp.

Hockey, kho-kho, kabaddi, volleyball and badminton are the events earmarked for Ranchi, he said.