Over the years, the performance of Goa at the National Games is not something every Goan would be proud of.
In the last 24 years, at the National Games held in Manipur (1999), Punjab (2001), Andhra Pradesh (2002) and Assam (2007), Goa could win just 3, 4, 7 and 5 medals respectively including a solitary gold in each of these Games.
But, Jharkhand 2011 turned out to be a game changer. It was a watershed moment in Goan sports as Goa won 16 medals including 5 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze to finish at a credible 16th position with taekwondo contributing bulk of those medals. It remains Goa’s best performance at the National Games till date.
However, there has been a steep decline after that. In Kerala, in 2015, Goa won 11 medals (1 gold, 3 silver and 7 bronze) with six of those medals coming from taekwondo alone.
During the last National Games held in Gujarat in 2022, a 81-member Goan contingent took part in 13 disciplines - aquatics, athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, football (women), gymnastics, judo, kabaddi, mallakhamb, wushu and triathlon.
Goa’s absence in its traditionally strong sport ‘taekwondo’ meant that Goa finished at a poor 30th position with a mere five bronze medals – just above Bihar (two bronze) and bottom-placed Sikkim which claimed one bronze medal. It was Goa’s worst ever showing at the National Games in the last three decades.
Goa could just manage to settle for a bronze medal each in beach volleyball, boxing, gymnastics, mallakhamb and swimming. It also meant that the tiny state would not win a single gold at the National Games for the first time ever since 1994.
The National Games in Goa will see a record 43 sports being held here and as hosts, is likely to participate in at least 38 sports but winning a medal even in half of those disciplines will be a tall order for Goan sportspersons.
With on-field preparations for most of the sports associations starting only a couple of months ago with many sports associations being made to starve for financial aid for six months, considerable delay in releasing the funds, the build-up for preparation of National Games has far from being ideal for Goan sportspersons. In such circumstances, winning a bag full of medals will be a tough ask.
Going by Goa’s track record at the National Games, it is obvious that if Goa wants to improve upon its medals tally; it has to get people from outside who are better than us and will guarantee medals.
Traditionally, Goa has done well in badminton, boxing, beach volleyball, football, gymnastics, swimming, triathlon, taekwondo and yachting at the national level. So, there are better chances of winning medals in these sports.
With home advantage and the state government allowing a maximum of 30 per cent athletes from outside the State in the squad, Goa will be hoping for its best ever showing at the Games and improve upon the medals tally achieved at Jharkhand in 2011.
A top-10 finish seems highly unlikely. But, if Goa ends up among the lower rungs of the medals tally, then it will be a huge embarrassment for the host State.
