Athletes Soma Biswas and Hari Shankar Roy during the opening ceremony of the Indo-Bangla Games at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: The likes of Soma Biswas, Sushmita Singha Roy, Pinki Pramanik and Hari Shankar Roy will slug it out in the first-ever Indo-Bangla Games, which was inaugurated in Calcutta on Saturday.

The February 24-28 international meet, a joint effort of the Bangladesh Olympic Association and the Bengal Olympic Association, is an attempt to solidify the unique tie between the two nations through sports.

Over the next three days, the 228-strong Bangladesh contingent will take on a 210-strong Indian contingent in eight events — athletics, swimming, kho-kho, kabaddi, basketball, volleyball, shooting and football — spread across 10 venues in and around the city.

Asian Games silver medallist Soma will take part in 400m relay, while stablemate Sushmita will feature in the 100m hurdles and 200m.

Asian Games gold medallist in the 4x400m Pinki Pramanik will take part in her favourite event — apart from 400m and 200m, while Hari Shankar will participate in the men’s 110m hurdles.

Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi, who was present during the inauguration ceremony on Saturday, said the Games would be held each year, alternatively in India and Bangladesh.

Kalmadi, who took the opportunity to seek support from Bangladesh Olympic Association secretary Kutubuddin Ahmed on India’s bid for the 2014 Asian Games, said the Indo-Bangla Games were inspired by the Indo-Pakistan Games, in which Punjab athletes from both sides of the border take part.

“We hope Bangladesh will support us when we bid for the 2014 Asian Games in April 17 in Kuwait,” he said, adding: “Incheon City, South Korea, is our main rival.”

Though there would be no dope tests in the Indo-Bangla Games, Kalmadi said the IOA would now clamp down on dope offenders with a heavy hand.

“Henceforth, the dope tests would be carried out in a Wada-accredited lab in Bangkok. So our athletes, if found guilty, won’t get away Scot-free”, the IOA president said.

Laying out the plan for 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Kalmadi said the government has been approached for a major fund-boost.

“We have requested the Union cabinet for a sum of Rs 15,000 crore which is needed to train our athletes for the upcoming Commonwealth Youth Games (2008) and Commonwealth Games (2010).

“The money would be spent in appointing foreign coaches, international exposure and proper diet”, Kalmadi said.