Goa still struggling to catch up for Lusofonia
manuel vaz
teamherald@herald-goa.com
OLD GOA: With only 24 hours remaining for the Lusofonia Games to commence in the state, the works at two stadiums which were hastily inaugurated on Thursday were far from complete, as men and machine appeared to be desperately racing against time.
At the entrance of the Bambolim athletic stadium, which was opened on Thursday amid much haste, workers were still working on the approach road while cables, iron rods were popping out at various places as one entered the stadium.
Nails were seen scattered at several places at the parking lot, giving an impression as if the games are months, and not hours, away from commencement.
The furnishing of the athletes’ room was far from ready while the quality of the synthetic track raised questions as pieces stuck out as one stepped on the track. Further, the parking lot too was not ready while the shanties just outside the stadium were an eyesore for onlookers.
The situation at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Multipurpose Indoor Stadium was no different as piles of mud and rubble were seen in and around, with workers still engaged in leveling and clearing work.
However, when questioned about the incomplete works on various fronts even when only a day was left for
the games to commence, Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who inaugurated the Bambolim athletic stadium, shot back: “Any project undertaken will have its delays.”
“This is the fruit of the Parivartan that the Goans voted for,” he said while adding that in the next four years, various sports-related infrastructure will be set up in the state keeping in mind the National Games.
On the naming of the stadium after Dr Shyam Prasad Mukherjee, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that Mukherjee was a patriot who died a martyr while fighting for the inclusion of Kashmir to India.
There is no building named after Dr Mukherjee, hence I thought to name this stadium after him to keep his memory alive,” Parrikar informed.
At the inauguration of the multi-purpose indoor stadium, Peddem, Francis D’Souza, deputy chief minister, Goa said “With the soft opening of this stadium, we want to send across the message that the infrastructure for the Lusofonia Games is ready. All the facilities at the indoor stadium and the athletic track are of international Class II recognition.”
However, contrary to his statement, upon investigation, it is learned that the taraflex flooring at the stadium has yet to be laid, else it will be a violation of international federation rules. Table-tennis will begin on January 19, followed by judo, taekwondo and wushu which will all be conducted at the Peddem stadium. Unless the flooring is completed, none of these competitions can be held.
