Glitter and glamour mark opening ceremony of 35th National Games

[email protected] (CD Network)
February 1, 2015

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 1: Kerala rolled the red carpet to receive the participants of the 35th National Games as the opening ceremony of the 15-day event was marked with both glitter and glamour in full measure.

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The three-hour-long programme at the new Greenfield stadium in Kariyavattom, in short, was a memorable affair all along as it stood out for the diversity of the art forms on show and enthusiastic crowd participation.

And consequently, there was never a dull moment right from start to finish after the show got underway, after a prelude which had percussion as its base, with the march past of the athletes led by Services, the overall champion over the last two editions of the Games and host Kerala bringing up the rear.

The entry of the IOA flag too was greeted with warmth by the crowd as it was trooped in six former internationals and hoisted.

The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, the Sports Minister, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, the Union Minister of State for Sports, Sarbananda Sonowal and the IOA president N. Ramachandran briefly spoke before the Union Minister for Urban Development, M. Venkaiah Naidu declared the Games open.

The night skies were lit up with a brilliant display of pyrotechnics, following this formal declaration by the chief guest before Ammu, the Games mascot, arrived in fanfare to earn a hearty greeting.

All eyes were thereafter on the Games torch which was brought in and taken through one lap by thirty former internationals before K.M. Beenamol, the first winner of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna from the State, had the honour to turn it over to cricket icon and Goodwill Ambassador of the Games, Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar, in turn, was to hand the torch over P.T. Usha and Anju Bobby George, before spreading the flame to the cauldron shaped in the form of a traditional Kerala lamp.

The sports protocol was to end with the oath taking on behalf of the participants by the Kerala captain, Preeja Sreedharan, leaving the stage open to the much awaited cultural extravaganza.

The highlight of the artistic intervention was the ‘war cry’ sounded by dancers led by Malayalam superstar Mohanlal.

It was in more ways than one a glowing tribute to the freedom fighters who fought against the yoke of foreign rule with the hero himself appearing in the role of the great commander, Kunjali Marikkar.

And then the show was to turn musical with Mohanlal again on the lead of India Singing, with singers like Udit Narayan, M.G. Sreekumar and Sujatha belting out a mix of classical songs dating back to the period from 1931 to 1980.

A great beginning to the Games which is certain to unfold equally brilliant performances!

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35th National Games 2

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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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