Newly elected Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, Paralympic Committee of India President Deepa Malik, Secretary General Gurusharan Singh, Odisha Sports Department Secretary R Vineel Krishna, Indian Oil Director Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra and Para Sports Association of Odisha President Kamala Kanta Ratha were present on the occasion.

The highlights of the opening ceremony was the torch run by Jayanti Behera, Sambalpuri dancers precise, high-energy choreographed dance, followed by exhilarating parade of athletes to the tune of the Odisha Police band. The Oath by athletes was administered by another Odisha Paralympian Markanda Reddy.

Host Odisha has fielded a 23-member squad in this championship. The squad is composed of three female and 20 male athletes. According to Para Sports Association of Odisha, the squad was selected on the basis of performance in the State trial held at Kalinga Stadium on 12 March 2022.

ODISHA SQUAD:

WOMEN: 1. Jayanti Behera (T-47 100m, 200m, 400m), 2. Kunilata Barik (T-53 400m, 800m, 1500m), 3. Suchitra Parida (F-53, shot put, javelin).

MEN: 1. Debaraj Behera (T-11 100m, 400m, long jump), 2. Bhimsen Behera (T-11 100m, 400m), 3. Lalprasad Soren (T-12 100m, 400m, long jump), 4. Niranjan Sahu (T-12 100m), 5. Samir Nahak (T-12 400m), 6. Pankaj Bhue (T-13 100m, 400m, long jump), 7. Lingaraj Rautara (T-13 100m, 400m, long jump), 8. Sukharam Majhi (T-13 400m), 9. Rashmi Ranjan Mallick (T-44 100m, long jump), 10. Badal Barik (T-44 100m), 11. Dibya Ranjan Sahoo (T-44 long jump, high jump), 12. Deepak Ranjan Bhuyan (T-44 high jump), 13. Niklas Pradhan (T-46 100m, 400m), 14. Swadhin Mahar (T-47 100m, 400m), 15. Rajesh Sahoo (T-47 100m, long jump), 16. Gobind Dubey (T-47 long jump), 17. Akshaya Kumar Sahoo (T-47 long jump, high jump), 18. Prafull Kumar Khandayatray (F-53 shot put, discus, javelin), 19. Kamalakanta Nayak (T-53 800m, 1500m, 5000m), 20. Deepak Kumar Nayak (F-5 javelin).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- PICS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOP: Odisha para sprinter Rashmi Ranjan Mallick expresses his happiness after winning mens T-44 100m gold medal in the 20th National Para Athletics Championship at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on 29 March 2022.
RIGHT: Odisha para cricketer-cum-athlete emotes after winning bronze medal in mens T-13 100m event at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on 29 March 2022.