New Delhi

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch the 36th National Games anthem and mascot in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister Anurag Thakur will grace the glittering curtain-raiser event of the  36th National Games at the EKA Arena TransStadia in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening in the presence of eminent dignitaries.

The Ministy of Youth Affairs and Sports said on Saturday that distinguished guests from various parts of Gujarat are expected to attend the ceremony.

 The 36th National Games on the theme 'Celebrating Unity Through Sports', are being held after a gap of seven years and will take place from September 29 to October 1The curtain-raiser event will witness the unveiling of the Games Anthem and Mascot, as well as a custom-curated website and mobile application, marking the beginning of the biggest sporting extravaganza in the country.

“We are delighted and proud to host the National Games,” Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said. “We are eagerly waiting for India’s top athletes and officials and are leaving no stone unturned to make this the best Games ever,” he added.

Other dignitaries who will be present include Harsh Sanghavi, Minister for Sports, Youth & Cultural Activities, Gujarat, Kiritkumar J. Parmar, Mayor of Ahmedabad, Anil Khanna, Acting President of Indian Olympic Association, Sujata Chaturvedi,  Secretary, Sports, Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Six cities of Gujarat including Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, are hosting the Games.  New Delhi will additionally host the track cycling event.An estimated 7,000 athletes from 28 states and eight Union Territories are expected to take part across 36 disciplines that include most traditional Olympic sports. Indigenous sports like mallakhamb and yogasana will also feature in the National Games for the first time.

The Games were last held in Kerala in 2015.