Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Odisha Sports Minister Tushar Kanti Behera declared the opening of the IndianOil 20th National Para Athletic Championship 2022. The event organizers put on an eye-catching opening ceremony at the Kalinga Athletic Stadium to mark the opening of the games which will see a record number of women participation.
The Sports Minister was joined by newly elected Mayor of Bhubaneswar, Sulochana Das; First Woman President of Paralympic Committee of India, Deepa Malik; Sports and Youth Services Secretary Vineel Krishna; Indian Oil Director (HR) Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra; Secretary General, Paralympic Committe of India, Gurusharan Singh; President of Para Sports Association of Odisha, Kamala Kanta Ratha; and a host of other dignitaries of PCI, PSAO & IndianOil.
The highlights of the evening were the torch run by Odisha Paralympian Jayanti Behera, Sambalpuri dancers’ precise, high-energy choreographed dance, followed by exhilarating parade of athletes to the tune of the Odisha Police band. The Oath by athletes was administered by another Odisha Paralympian Markanda Reddy.
Minister of Sports, Government of Odisha in his address welcomed all the dignitaries on the dais and participating para-athletes to these hallowed grounds of Odisha. Secretary General PCI, Gurursharan Singh, delivered the vote of thanks thanking all the stakeholders of this event for a magnificent opening of the IndianOil 20th National Para Athletics Championship, 2022.
