VARANASI, Jan. 3 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the eight-day 72nd Senior National Volleyball Championship, scheduled to be held at Dr Sampurnanand Sports Stadium in Sigra, Varanasi, from January 4 to January 11. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will be physically present at the inaugural session to encourage the players. Varanasi Nagar Nigam public relations officer Sandeep Srivastava said this is the first time in the city's history that a national championship of this magnitude is being organised. He added that 1,250 players will participate in the competition. Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, who is also the president of the Uttar Pradesh Volleyball Association, will attend the inaugural session as the special guest, Srivastava added. Preparations are being finalised in high-level meetings of the organising committee. The committee's chairman, Varanasi Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari, said he is personally monitoring the arrangements. He convened a meeting of corporators and BJP workers on Friday to review the preparations, Srivastava said. The Mayor said responsibilities have been assigned to the corporators and BJP workers to ensure the event is a grand success. Ayush minister (independent charge) Daya Shankar Mishra Dayalu, Kashi region BJP president Dilip Patel, MLC and BJP district president Hansraj Vishwakarma, city unit president Pradeep Agrahari, and Jagdish Tiwari, among others, were present at the meeting. District magistrate Satyendra Kumar, municipal commissioner Himanshu Nagpal, and commissioner of police Mohit Agarwal, along with several senior officers from the Varanasi Nagar Nigam, district, and police administration, inspected the venue and reviewed the preparations. The stadium is currently being given a makeover under the supervision of the organising committee's chairman and the Mayor....