07 Sep 2019  |   05:10am IST

Accepting minister’s challenge, GPCC chief quits Olympic panel

Accepting minister’s challenge, GPCC chief quits Olympic panel

PANJIM (PTI): Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar on Friday resigned as the vice president of the Goa Olympic Association (GOA) following a war of words with Sports Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar over hosting of the National Games.

The Congress leader said he had put in his papers accepting the ‘challenge’ thrown at him by Ajgaonkar.

“The minister had claimed that my exit from the GOA will help in smoother organisation of the National Games,” Chodankar said explaining the reason for his resignation from GOA.

Chodankar had earlier criticised Ajgaonkar for postponing the dates of the National Games multiple times.

The BJP-led Goa government has also earned the ire of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for delays in hosting the Games.

“In response to the public appeal made by... Ajgaonkar, I tender my resignation from the post of Vice President of Goa Olympic Association,” Chodankar said in his resignation letter.

“The above decision is taken in view of the demand made by the Sports Minister that my resignation will help the Government to smoothly organise the National Games in 2020,” he added.

“The failure to organise the National Games in time... repeatedly begging with Indian Olympic Association for postponement, has brought bad repute to the State,” he said.

“In view of the above, I hope that ... Ajgaonkar too will resign as Sports Minister and liberate the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs from irregularities, gross corruption and nepotism,” the Congress leader added.

The much-delayed 36th National Games will be held in Goa from October 20 to November 4 next year, according to an announcement by IOA in New Delhi.

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar