Goa to host baseball, tug-of-war events
TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Goa will host 58th Baseball and Tug-of-War National School Games Championships for under-19 boys and girls from November 19 to 22 at Ponda Sports Complex, informed V M Prabhudesai, DSYA Director at Ponda, Saturday.
Addressing a press conference, Prabhudesai announced that Neel Namdev Diukar of Dempo HSS, Mira Mar will captain the boys’ tug-of-war team while Sheetal Prabhakar Kamble of Peoples HSS, Panjim will lead the girls’ side. Anuja Anandrao Mudalkar of PES HSS, Ponda will captain the girl’s baseball side and Nikhil Mahadev Gaude will bear responsibility for the boys.
Goa will be hosting the championships for the second time in succession and over 600 to 700 participants are expected to take part. A total of 16 states will  teams in baseball whereas 14 states will take part in tug-of-war.
Boys tams will be accommodated at AJ de Almeida HS, Ponda and the girls at St Mary’s HS, Ponda. There will be one ground for boys baseball and two courts for tug-of-war for both the categories at the main venue at Ponda Sports Complex whereas a separate venue at Goa Engineering College, Farmagudi will host the girls baseball tourney.
 “The total expenditure has been budgeted at Rs 20 lakh,” mentioned Prabhudesai.
“Given Goa teams domination in baseball for the past 12 years with more than 100 medals at sub-junior, junior and senior categories, there are high expectations,” remarked Prabhudesai who also expects the same from the tug-of-war team.
Juliana Colaco, deputy director and organizing secretary, Anant Raut, assistant director DSYA and joint organizing secretary, Jennifer Gonsalves, chief co-ordinator and Gurudas Bandodkar, joint co-ordinator were among those present.