Kalaripayattu to be part of school sports meet from next year

T'puram: General education minister V Sivankutty said that kalaripayattu will be a competition item in the state school sports meet from next year onwards. He said that the govt would carry out necessary amendments in the school games manual to this effect.The minister said that the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) decision to not include kalarippayattu as part of the upcoming 2025 National Games in Uttarakhand is worthy of protest. IOA president PT Usha, who is from Kerala, is not ready to address the issue, Sivankutty said.He said that the National Games, the largest sports event in India, a country known for its diversity, should feature kalaripayattu, a sport recognised by Unesco and a pride for Kerala. Sivankutty added that the public education department is working to include kalaripayattu as a competitive event for boys and girls in the under-14, under-17, and under-19 age categories in the State School Olympics to be held in Thiruvananthapuram next year.