In another first, Kerala State school meet welcomes Malayali students from abroad

A team of 50 students and five coaches from West Asia arrived in the city

For Hamza Nasser, the Kerala School Sports & Games 2024 has been a revelation, even from his brief experience on the inaugural day after arriving in the city on Monday (November 4) morning.

Having done all his schooling in Dubai, the Plus Two student from Kannur had never experienced an event of this flavour back home. “Just breathtaking,” he said, seated in a packed gallery at Maharaja’s College Ground, struggling to be heard over the deafening sounds of cultural programmes held in connection with the inaugural event.

Hamza was part of the basketball team representing a cluster of six schools across West Asia, including Dubai, Sharjah, and Ras Al-Khaimah. A team of 50 students and five coaches from the region arrived in the city as the sports meet, for the first time in its history, opened its doors to Keralite students from abroad.

Minister of Education V. Sivankutty led a reception for them at a city hotel shortly after their arrival.

“The participants were selected through school cluster-level competitions held in West Asia. The top-performing students from a group of six schools were chosen for the event. They will compete in basketball, volleyball, football, and athletics,” said Sumesh Kumar, head of the Physical Education department at Gulf Model School, Dubai.

All were experiencing an event of this scale back home for the first time. Accustomed to spending vacations with their families, the sports meet offered them an entirely different experience alongside their peers. They will remain in the city until the meet concludes on November 11.

Published - November 04, 2024 11:34 pm IST