Third Asian Gymnastics Championship from July 29 in Surat

Surat, July 5 (UNI) The third Asian Gymnastics Championship will take place at Surat from July 29 to August three, the organisers informed UNI here.

The official inauguration of the international event will be done by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the evening of July 29, at Pandit Dindayal Upadhyaya Indoor Stadium, the organising committee secretary Kaushik Bidiwala here today said.

According to Mr Bidiwala a total number of 326 representatives will participate from 22 countries in the six day event, including gymnasts, coaches and judges.

China, Japan and Korean republics are the countries from where most of the representatives are coming.

There will be competition for Men's Artistic Gymnastics (MAG), Women's Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) and Rhythmic Gymnastics (RG).

The second Asian Gymnastics Championship was held at Guangshou in China in November 2003 and China won the championship at the second Asian meet.

Asian Gymnastics Union will supervise the event held here and the entire organisation of the event was done by Gujarat Gymnastics Association, organising secretary Mr Bidiwala added.

The total budget for the event is estimated at Rs 1.84 crore and the sponsors includes Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the Central and State governments.

Kaushik Bidiwala said that they will begin a hectic campaign from today onwards to find corporate sponsors for the event.

Meanwhile SMC has undertaken a renovation work of the Indoor stadium where the meet will be conducted.

According to the manager of the indoor stadium, Hemang Jani, the new gymnastics apparatus brought by the SMC from Germany in the last year will be used for the event.

A coaching camp organised by the Gymnastics Federation of India for the participants from the country has begun here today. A 12-member team of players from the country will be given training in the camp, an orgaising committee member told UNI.

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