Wanted to hear from CM that Goa is ready to host the National Games this year: PT Usha

Panaji: Goa has given so many excuses for the postponement of National Games, and for so long, that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) didn’t really know whom to believe.
Senior officials would travel to Delhi and make presentations before the IOA, but when an inspection team arrived here, the reality was strikingly different. Goa just didn’t seem anywhere close to hosting the National Games, originally scheduled to be held in 2011.
The host city contract between Goa and IOA was signed in 2008.
Not surprisingly, the IOA was so frustrated with the delays in Goa that they took the 36th edition of the Games away from the state and handed it to Gujarat, who hosted the event in just four months.
Now, the Games, in its 37th edition, are back in Goa.
“We had IOA delegations conducting inspections here and they were happy with the progress, but we wanted to confirm from the chief minister (Pramod Sawant) that the National Games will be organised in October (this year),” IOA president PT Usha told reporters on Wednesday. “That’s why we personally met him. I hope the National Games will be organised in a nice way.”
The former sprint queen who missed an Olympic medal by 1/100th of a second at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 met Sawant at his official residence in Altinho. A 45-minute presentation was also made at the end of which the three-member visiting delegation appeared pleased with the progress.
“We are happy that Goa has taken a lot of interest to organise. After 2015 (Kerala), we had the National Games in Ahmedabad in 2022. We want to organise the National Games every two years,” said the IOA president.
Sawant had a 20-minute interaction with the visiting IOA delegation which included joint secretary and acting CEO Kalyan Chaubey, besides Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) chairman Amitabh Sharma.
“For the last six-seven years, I have been hearing about Goa hosting the National Games,” said Sawant. “People were wondering whether the Games will happen at all. Now we are ready to host. The plans to host started during the time of the Congress government, then another government was in place, but now we have the infrastructure ready.”
Depending on the availability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will attend the opening ceremony, the National Games will commence either on October 23 or 24 and end on November 12, before Diwali, as athletes spend time with their families during the popular festival.
“We have been waiting for too long to host the National Games and the wait ends soon,” said sports minister Govind Gaude. “As of today, Goa is ready to host the National Games. In some places, only minor refurbishment is needed. Our plan is to get everything ready by July 15.”
The IOA has confirmed 38 disciplines so far with six disciplines — golf, lagori, roll ball, sqay martial arts, pencak silat and gatka — jostling for inclusion either as a medal sport or demonstration.
“We are satisfied. The will (of the government) and preparedness is at a very high level. There is a lot of excitement. This should be a great sporting event that will raise the bar for sports in India,” said Sharma.