New Delhi [India], March 7 (ANI): Indian Paralympic medallist Preethi Pal attended the opening ceremony of a three-day International Women's Day celebration organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Saturday.

The programme brought together several distinguished guests and participants to mark the occasion ahead of International Women's Day, celebrated globally on March 8.

During the opening ceremony, Preethi Pal lit the ceremonial lamp to formally commence the event. Following the inauguration, she also joined other guests and women jawans of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in a yoga session as part of the fitness activities planned during the programme.

The ceremony witnessed the presence of several dignitaries, including nutritionist Nidhi Nigam, Yukti Arya, celebrity nutritionist Tanvee Tutlani and Nivedita Shreyansh. The guests were recognised for their contributions in different fields, including sports, nutrition, entrepreneurship and community development.

The 25-year-old sprinter, who has brought laurels to the country through her achievements in para-athletics, was honoured for her accomplishments, including winning a bronze medal at the Paralympics and being a recipient of the prestigious Arjuna Award.

The event also highlighted the significance of fitness and healthy lifestyles, in line with the Fit India Movement championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Launched on August 29, 2019, the initiative aims to encourage citizens to adopt an active lifestyle and make fitness an integral part of daily life.

To mark International Women's Day, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had earlier announced that it will also organise a nationwide mass participation sporting event under its flagship ASMITA initiative. The programme will be implemented by the Sports Authority of India in collaboration with MY Bharat.

According to Ansuman Prasad Das, the My Bharat AP State Director, the ASMITA sporting events are scheduled to be held across 250 locations. He anticipates a strong turnout from women who belong to the age group of 14 to 28. The women are expected to participate in various sports organised as part of this initiative.

'In 250 locations, we are going to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, in a unique way. We are expecting that women in the age group of 14 to 28 will come and participate in different sports events, mostly it is athletics, like 100m, 200m and 400m, and they will be facilitated, and we are expecting lots of participation, and after participation, effects will come out of this programme,' Das told reporters. (ANI)