Sonia Gandhi will open Guwahati National Games

Congress party president Sonia Gandhi will open the 33rd National Games in Guwahati on Friday.

Congress party president Sonia Gandhi will open the 33rd National Games in Guwahati on Friday, it was announced in the Capital on Tuesday.

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"Mrs (Sonia) Gandhi will open the games," Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi said at a press conference.

The games had come under a cloud after the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), a militant organisation of Assam, had called for a boycott of the games. It, however, withdrew its threat Monday, paving the way for the smooth conduct of the games.

Kalmadi was quick to call the press conference to announce that all was well with Guwahati, though he did not have much to say except announcing the number of athletes and officials who will be present at the games.

"We are happy that ULFA has withdrawn the call to boycott the games. But athletes were already on way to Guwahati," he said.

"No association has wavered (due to the threat), and these will be the largest National Games ever," he said.

He said that 6,999 athletes, 1,446 officials and 2,560 technical officials would take the number to 11,005 for the games that will be played from February 9-18.

Competition will be held in 32 sports disciplines as against 28 in the previous edition held in Hyderabad, he said.