Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed confidence that Goa is ready to host 36th National Games in the state.
Gurudatta Bhakta, Secretary of Goa Olympic Association (GOA), also conveyed optimism about the possibility of the 36th National Games in November next year after several postponements in the past.
He said, "The schedule for the national tournament will be decided by the Indian Olympic Association. I have instructed the state government to attend the meeting as a representative of the Goa Olympic Association and also to have a government representative present at that meeting. "
The IOA will take the call about the National Games in Goa at the general meeting scheduled in December. The tournament was scheduled to be held in Goa from October 20 to November 4, 2020, but was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Goa is ready
At the general meeting of Goa Sports Authority on Tuesday, Chief Minister Sawant expressed his determination to host the National Games.
In terms of the infrastructure, except for the swimming pool at Campal, all the work is almost complete and the work on the swimming pool has started, so the event can be scheduled for November next year.
Major competitions from July to September
India will be participating in two major international competitions next year. The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8, and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China from September 10 to 25. Therefore, the IOA could schedule the National Games in Goa only after these two competitions.
With the state assembly elections coming up early next year, as well as the monsoon in the state, experts believe that Goa may host a national tournament in the second half of next year.