Some of them turned up in spike shoes, while others decided to go barefoot.
A few wore track pants and shorts, while there were some who simply rolled up their school uniform salwar. Nothing, not even the humid weather, seemed to dampen the enthusiasm of more than 500 school students who had gathered in the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Uppalam.
Students from Puducherry schools competed in around 20 disciplines such as athletics, badminton, swimming, volleyball, hockey, kabbadi, roller skating and football, in the two-day regional-level selection trials for the 60th National School Games Championships.
The regional-level selection trials for Puducherry were held in the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Uppalam, the Cercle Sportif Pondicherien, Swimming Centre, Murungapakkam and other venues on August 27 and 28. Students who are selected will take part in the State-level selection trials, which will include athletes from Mahe, Yanam and Karaikal, to be held on September 3.
A total of 564 students from Puducherry, 75 from Karaikal, 50 from Mahe and 45 from Yanam are expected to take part.