SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024
AJIT JOHN
PANJIM: The Goa Gymnastics Association and the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) are involved in a tussle over the availability of facilities to play the sport.
The Goa Gymnastics Association President Sudesh Thakur claims that letters to the SAG have not been responded to and demands for a facility to conduct training have not been acquiesced to and importantly requests for coaches have not been listened to.
Speaking to the O Heraldo, Thakur said, “We have equipment purchased for the National Games and we need space to install them and train the gymnasts. We have asked for a place in Ponda and Margao and a letter to that effect has been given to SAG. But there is no response.”
Thakur said, “For the 37th National Games, gymnastic equipment worth crores of rupees was purchased by the State government. The event was held at the Peddem Indoor Stadium. After the National Games, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs had stated that the equipment would be handed over to the respective associations.”
Accordingly, the Goa Gymnastic Association had written a letter on November 10, 2023 to the Executive Director of SAG. But till date, it had not replied to the Association or handed over the equipment to them.
Yet by another letter dated June 4, 2023, the Goa Gymnastic Association had requested the SAG to appoint two coaches for gymnastic games as declared during the SAG’s annual general meeting held on March 14, 2023.
Thakur alleged the SAG had not responded to the Association nor appointed any coaches.
On November 28 last year, the Goa Gymnastic Association had written a letter to the SAG, to provide spaces at Fatorda and Ponda so that the equipment received for the National Games could be utilised for the development of gymnastic games in the State. This letter too fell on deaf ears of the SAG even after follow-up with the Executive Director of SAG as well as Assistant Director for Stadium (South) Rajesh Naik.
However, a SAG official said that different associations had to realise that their sport was not the only one that was important and that the various sporting facilities had to accommodate every other sport.
He said, there were a certain number of facilities in the State and the gymnastics association wanted space of around 1,299 square metres to erect their equipment. But where is the space available?, he asked.
With regards to appointment of coaches, the official said the gymnastics association had not recruited anyone from the CVs sent to the association.
