PANJIM: Waving off Rs 10 crore fine imposed for repeatedly postponing the National Games was just an eye wash to divert the attention of the people of Goa as the Government has agreed to a amicable solution for the same.
According to a letter in possession of Herald, written by Secretary J Ashok Kumar, secretary (Sports & Youth Affiars) to president Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Narindra Dhruv Batra on July 19, 2019, the Goa Government had requested the IOA to drop the demand for payment of penalty/additional hosting rights fee and had accordingly said that it would make all efforts to get maximum revenue through sponsorships opportunities.
On August 31, Sports Minister Manohar Babu Ajgaonkar had disclosed that the IOA had also agreed to waive off Rs 10 crore fine but kept the sponsorship deal as a secret.
“IOA has informed us that the National Games will be held in Goa from October 20 to November 4. We are happy over this development. Now, we will get enough time to issue tenders and get the remaining works done. The IOA has also agreed to waive off Rs 10 crore fine which was imposed for repeatedly postponing the National Games”, said Ajgaokar while addressing the media.
The fifth para in the letter with subject: Hosting of the 36th National Games, Goa says, “In view of the above, and after discussions held by the Hon’ble Chief Minister with the Secretary General IOA ON 19/07/2019, you are requested to kindly revisit your decision and drop the demand for the payment of penalty/additional hosting rights fee. The Government of Goa would make all the efforts to get maximum revenue through sponsorship opportunities for IOA.”
During a meeting on National games on July 22 in New Delhi, the IOA agreed to GOA plea and accordingly asked them to raise revenue or Rs 6 crore for IOA by September 30, 2019.
The letter made by IOA to the Goa Olympic Association Secretary General Gurudatta Bhakta says, “As proposed by the Government of Goa vide their letter dated May 7, 2019 “the suggested widow period is between 1st to 16th November 2019”. The proposal is acceptable to IOA subject to fulfilment of the conditions mentioned below.”
“With reference to the letter dated 19/7/2019 the Government of Goa has assured that ‘it would make all efforts to get maximum revenue through sponsorship opportunities for IOA’ because of the continuous delay on the part of government in hosting the 36th National Games the IOA has lost all its sponsors which it had organised for the Games. The loss of revenue to IOA needs to be made good either through additional fee by the Goa Government or through Corporation Social Responsibility (CSR) organised through Government of Goa or to be made up by sponsorship fee organised by Goa Government. It may please be noted that Goa was supposed to host the National Games in 2011 and is already delayed by 8 years.
The date for raising the revenues of Rs 6 crore as mention in IOA letter by secretary general IOA dated 12/6/2019 is September 30, 2019, in case this revenue target is not achieved by the above date the Goa Government will cover the shortfall in revenues by itself positively within 1st week of October 2019”, the letter adds.
As the due date for sponsorship is hardly eight days away the question remains is whether the government has enough sponsors or will it they pay from the Goa govt coffers.
Earlier the government had expressed its inability to host the much-delayed National Games in November this year citing that the State requires at least five months preparation time after announcement of the dates.
Non-completion of the requisite infrastructure in Goa has been one of the reasons behind the multiple delays in hosting the Games, the last edition of which was held in Jharkhand in 2011.
Goa was earlier supposed to host the 36th edition of the National Games in November last year. However, the State later set aside dates for the event from March 30 to April 14 this year, but then expressed its inability to host the Games during that period owing to the general elections.
