Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Education Department which organises Asia's largest arts festival is now gearing up to host a sports event of the same grandness. In a format similar to the School Arts Festival, the winning district in the sports competition will be awarded an ever-rolling gold trophy. The Education Department is considering presenting a 3-kilogram gold trophy in the name of the Chief Minister. If it is not possible due to time constraints this year, the trophy will be introduced next year, sources suggest.

Revamped from the ground up, the state sports meet, now named ‘School Olympics’, will be held in Kochi from November 4 to 11. This is the first time in the country that the concept of School Olympics is being implemented. The opening ceremony, to be held at Kaloor Stadium, will be a grand celebration with cultural performances, modeled after the Olympics. The School Olympics will be held across 19 venues in Kochi.

Until now, the school sports meet was known for athletics alone, but now, a total of 39 events, including games, will be conducted in a combined championship. For the first time in history, inclusive sports for differently-abled athletes and games for students from Kerala schools in the Gulf countries will also be part of the event.

The Public Education Department has envisioned a variety of activities to enhance the School Olympics, including a grand procession, march-past, a theme song, torch relay featuring international athletes and sports stars, brand ambassadors, goodwill ambassadors and a sports-cultural fest.