Guwahati, Sept. 1: The 32nd Abhiruchi Sports Day, an annual event marking the birthday of the Northeast's first Arjuna awardee Bhogeswar Barua on September 3, will miss the traditional sheen of the presence of star international sportspersons this time.

Unlike in the past, which saw P.T. Usha, Shiny Wilson and others flag off the mass jogging on the day, this time, there will be only Assam's very own Arjuna awardee and eight-time national champion paddler Monalisha Baruah Mehta. She will flag off the mass jogging from Chandmari flyover to Nehru Stadium here on Thursday.

"The run will be followed by physical training and dance competition for schoolchildren. We will felicitate Assam sportspersons who have represented India in the last year, along with sports organisers and coaches," said organising chairman Balendra M. Chakraborty here today.

"We had contacted Virender Sehwag and he had agreed to attend the event but at the last moment he had to go abroad," said Chakraborty.

"Assam sports minister Ajit Singh will also be present at the flag off while we are expecting Union sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal to attend the felicitation programme," he added.

The sportspersons to be felicitated are archers Jayanta Talukdar, Sanjay Boro, Himani Boro and Dhiniram Basumatary, boxers Shiva Thapa, Luvlina Borgohain, Jamuna Boro, Failao Basumatary and Ani Lama, athlete Laimun Narzary, shuttlers Orijit Chaliha and Pragyan Jyoti Gogoi, sepak takraw players L. Thainu Chanu and K. Rajen Singh, taekwondo player Rekharani Gogoi, rower Nafisa Sadik, paddler Birdie Boro, wushu player Rajani Deuri, weightlifters Monalisa Sonowal, Swapnapriya Barua and Champak Dutta, footballers Holicharan Narzary, Bishnu Bordoloi, Anjana Saikia, Binit Rai, Milan Basumatary, Kapil Boro and Nijum Musahary, tennis player Parikshit Somani and shooter Rituraj Singh.

Weightlifting organiser Bhabajyoti Goswami will be awarded the RG Baruah sports organiser award and Dhiren Baruah, Harish Goswami, Anil Baruah and Tajmahal Hussain will be felicitated with sports organisers award while table tennis coach Gobinda Upadhyay will be honoured with the Chidananda Das coach award.

Monalisha Baruah Mehta has also instituted an award in the name of her father Gopal Baruah for talented players.