Khade to be India's flag bearer at Youth Games

Swimming sensation Virdhawal Khade will be the flag bearer of the Indian contingent during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG), which gets underway at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports City at Balewadi near in Pune from October 12.

The Maharashtra Olympic Association (MOA) Secretary General Prof Balasaheb Landge has been named the Chef de Mission of the Indian contingent, Suresh Kalmadi, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President and also Chairman of Organising Committee for CYG, said.

The 17-year-old Kolhapur swimmer will compete in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyles and 50m and 100m butterfly events, beside three relay races.

The promising youngster was the first to book a berth in the Beijing Olympic squad after clocking 1:52:41 seconds to better the qualifying time of 1:52:50 in the 200m freestyle in Melbourne in 2007.

India's 'golden boy' Abhinav Bindra, who claimed the first individual gold for the country, will take part in the last-leg of the baton relay in Pune along with other Beijing medal winners -- pugilist Vijender Singh and grappler Sushil Kumar.

After being flagged off from New Delhi on August 1, the baton passed through nine states covering a distance of 9,200 kilometres before reaching the historic birth place of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Shivneri on Monday.

The baton relay will pass through Khadki before reaching its final destination -- Pune University.

Meanwhile, a 17-member contingent from Niue Island were the first to arrive.