National Games mascot Ammu, the Great Hornbill, has immortalised itself by finding a mention in the Limca Book of Records.
The mascot found a place in the record books owing to a play, ‘Kalikkunna Kuttikalkkayi Bharatham Kathirikkunnu’ (India Awaits Children Who Play) in which Ammu is featured.
According to the Limca Book’s 2015 Special Literature Edition, it is a play about a mascot which had been staged in most number of schools.
“By 9 April, 2014 the drama starring Ammu, the Great Indian Hornbill, had been staged in 147 schools across seven districts of Kerala. It encourages students to participate in sports,” it says.
The play was envisaged to promote sports among children and persuade them to take up sports along with academics. Scripted and directed by theatre artist Anil Karetee and enacted by a team of police officers led by Chandrakumar, the play was first enacted at a school in the city last September, they added.
Also recently a game was developed by Igloo Innovations and published by Malayala Manorama called Run Ammu Run, which is a 2D platformer where you play as Ammu the National Games mascot and carry the games torch and run for glory.
