Kerala to host next National Games

Ranchi, Feb 24 (PTI) Kerala, also known as God''s owncountry, will be hosting the next National Games, the 35thedition of the sporting extravaganza, in 2012.

The onus of the Games will be handed over to the Keralastate during the closing ceremony of the ongoing Games inRanchi on February 26.

This is the second time Kerala will be hosting the event,after it organised the Games way back in 1987.

The event will be held at Thiruvananthapuram, the statecapital.

During the handing over ceremony to be held at Ranchi inJharkhand, the Kerala organising committee has planned a 12-minute extravaganza to showcase the state''s rich culture, art,traditions and its passion for sports.

The cultural and sports events have been conceptualisedby Kerala''s renowned national award filmmaker Shyamaprasadalong with creative director Shubhra Mehandiratta from Mumbai,who recently handled the opening and closing ceremony of theSouth Asian Winter Games in Dehradun and Auli.

Shibu Chakravarty''s lyrics for the 12-minute show hasbeen sung by Ouseppachan and is choreographed by HarishchandraBhatt.

The central theme is ''Togetherness in Sports'', while partof the lyrics describes the Kerala Games'' mascot.

The Horn bill, represents speed and strength, bothsalient features of Kerala''s sporting Community.

Over 170 dancers and performers from Kerala are expectedto perform. The line-up includes a team of KalaripayattuMartial warriors, the Katahkali Streevesham team, MohiniattamDancers, the Powerful Rhythms of the Chenda Drummers and theShingarimelam and Kerala Horns.