The Great Khali to inaugurate the HP State Olympic Games

The Himachal Pradesh Olympics Association (HPOA), under the leadership of Anurag Thakur, is all set to orgainse the first-ever Himachal Pradesh State Olympics Games starting June 22.
Gracing the occasion will be the international WWE wrestling star Dalip Singh Rana, 'The Great Khali', and the governor of Himachal Pradesh Acharya Devvrat.
The inauguration will be held right after the five-day Olympic Torch Run reaches Hamirpur which is taking place across Himachal Pradesh.
A number of Bollywood celebrities are also expected to be present at the high profile opening ceremony which is being called the 'biggest initiative for India's Olympic dreams since independence'.

The event will be held across 11 disciplines, namely hockey, athletics, boxing, basketball, judo, kabaddi, volleyball, wrestling, kho-kho, weight-lifting and shooting from June 22 to 25.
The Games are expected to engage about 50,000 sports enthusiasts from across the state.
The HPOA is presently hosting the HP Olympic Torch Run, which began in Shimla on June 17 and has now reached Kullu.
"The response to the Olympic Torch Run has been overwhelming and we are confident that the Games will gather an even bigger number in terms of participation. The HPOA is committed towards providing an environment and platform for upcoming sportspersons whereby their talent can be discovered at the grassroots and then nurtured to the point where they may one day represent India at the Olympic Games. We firmly believe this initiative will win us a medal in the Olympic Games in the years to come," Thakur said on the occasion.