The State capital has geared up to host the 67th Kerala School Sports Meet, modelled after the Olympics, that will be held across 12 venues from October 21 to 28.
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, who addressed a press conference here on Sunday, said all arrangements are in place to organise the event. Nearly 20,000 athletes, including participants from inclusive sports categories, will compete in the festival. Notably, 35 students from seven Kerala syllabus schools in the Middle East region will also take part.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will formally inaugurate the meet at the University Stadium on October 21. The ceremony will commence with a march past. Football legend I.M. Vijayan and the General Education Minister will light the ceremonial torch. The audience will be treated to a colourful cultural show that celebrates Kerala’s rich artistic and traditional heritage. Sporting competitions will commence on October 22.
Cricketer Sanju Samson has been roped in as the brand ambassador for the athletic meet and actor Keerthy Suresh will be its goodwill ambassador.
Trophy relay
In the lead-up to the event, the Chief Minister’s Trophy has been on a ceremonial relay across all 14 districts. The ceremony, which commenced at Neeleswaram in Kasaragod on October 16, reached Thiruvananthapuram district on Sunday and was accorded reception at Government Higher Secondary School, Thattathumala. The trophy procession will travel through all constituencies in the district on Monday. The trophy will arrive at Government Model Girls Higher Secondary School (GHSS), Pattom, and then proceed to the University Stadium on Tuesday.
A torch relay that began in Ernakulam on Sunday will also travel across schools in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. The torch and trophy processions will converge at Pattom Government Model GHSS before heading to the opening venue.
Mr. Sivankutty said the meet’s organising headquarters has been set up at Shikshak Sadan in Thiruvananthapuram and 16 dedicated subcommittees are actively coordinating preparations to ensure the smooth conduct of the event. A massive dining area that can accommodate 2,500 people at a time has been set up at Putharikandam Maidan. An exhibition showcasing a decade of Kerala’s sporting achievements has also been arranged at the venue.
Seventy-four schools have been converted into temporary hostels to accommodate the athletes. As many as 142 buses have been allocated to ferry students. Sanitation and e-toilet facilities are also in place at all grounds and hostels.
According to the Minister, it is for the first time that a theme song has been composed for the athletic meet being organised on the lines of the Olympics. The song has been composed, performed and produced entirely by students from government schools, another milestone in the history of the meet. The lyrics are by Prafuldas V., a Class XII student of Government Higher Secondary School, Pottassery, while the music is by Shivankari P. Thankachi, a Class IX student of Cotton Hill Government Girls HSS. Shivankari and several other students from Cotton Hill Government GHSS and Thycaud Model Boys HSS rendered the song.
Published – October 19, 2025 09:08 pm IST
