After being fined Rs 10 crore by the Indian Olympic Association for delaying in hosting the Games and managing to negotiate and bring it down to Rs 6 crore, Goa is now seeking to get the Games postponed to after January 2020. The reason for the new postponement is that the State requires at least five months preparation time after the dates are announced. IOA has already been approached in May for the dates, but is still to respond, which is leading the government to seek another postponement. The time required is to issue tenders for works as well as procure equipment from abroad.
It is coming to the end of July and Goa still doesn’t know whether the National Games will open in November or not. The IOA has to agree to the postponement, and who knows whether there may be another fine imposed on the State? The Games are turning out to be a costly affair for the State – what with the infrastructure costs and also the fines for the delay. Can Goa afford it?
Sports Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar, however, does claim that the infrastructure will be ready by August, but the State has been unable to enter into agreements and contracts for accommodation of athletes, transportation, catering, equipment as there is reluctance from the providers to bid, unless the dates are announced. The fact remains that the State has sought postponement of the Games on numerous occasions. The sporting event was to be held in March-April last, the dates finalised for March 31 to April 14, but Goa sought to defer the Games due to the election code of conduct that would be place for the Lok Sabha elections and the unavailability of security forces. That was granted, but four months after that scheduled date, the infrastructure is not yet ready. What does this say of Goa’s preparedness for the Games?
It goes beyond that. The teams have not begin practising and even coaches are not yet on board. The National Games will not be a success by just Goa hosting a flawless sporting event, but by the State winning a few medals. Goa’s teams have to prepare to defeat the best in the country and show that Goans are not minnows in the world of sport. In the 2015 Games, Goa was ranked at 24th place out of 32 teams, with one gold, three silver and seven bronze medals. Services had bagged the honours with 91 gold, 33 silver and 35 bronze medals. Goa’s gold had been in taekwondo in which it had bagged five more medals of the 11 the State had won. It has to substantially improve this performance.
The State now has more time not just to get ready the infrastructure for the Games, but to get its various sports teams prepared for the competition. It has to aim for a top 10 ranking in the medals tally and not be content with merely improving its last showing. Right now the sports minister is talking of spending Rs 200 cr on the ceremonies for the opening and closing of the Games. That is too extravagant an amount on this and the money can be better spent in preparing the Goan teams in the various events they will participate in. Goa has to put up a good show in the organising of the Games and in the sports field too. Only then can these Games be considered a success. The State has to show some gold in exchange for the money spent on the Games.
