PORT BLAIR: The Fit India Andaman Nicobar Khel Mahotsav, featuring inter-school competitions in athletics, football, volleyball and indigenous games, along with cultural performances celebrating the union territory's diversity, got underway here on Friday.
The festival that runs till August 31 will also have beach sports, kayaking demonstrations, rope skipping challenges and mass fitness drills besides anti-drug and health awareness drives, according to a Sports Authority of India (SAI) release.
The opening ceremony at Netaji Stadium saw Lieutenant Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Admiral DK Joshi flag off three Olympic-style 'Flame of Fitness' torches, symbolising the values of 'Excellence, Friendship and Respect'.
Each torch will travel through one of the three districts, carried by former footballer Anand Lawson (Nicobar), former para National gold medallist Prachi Toppo (South Andaman) and former India canoeist and kayaker Regina Kiro (North & Middle Andaman).
The handcrafted torches featuring the Cellular Jail silhouette, dugong and hornbill engravings, and a mangrove-root motif will travel by land and sea to the remotest parts covering hundreds of kilometres of the archipelago.
"It's an opportunity to celebrate and reinvigorate the culture of sport in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, encouraging participation at every level and fostering pride in our unique heritage," stated chief secretary, Andaman & Nicobar Islands Chandra Bhushan Kumar.
Regional director of SAI Kolkata Amar Jyoti said: "Har Dweep, Har Kinara, Khele Sara Dweep Hamara is not just a tagline -- it reflects the essence of a healthy and active life for every islander."