The new ministers took guard, and a few of them got down to serious business. On Monday, Sports Minister Govind Gaude created a flutter when he disclosed that the State is not yet ready to host the 36th National Games when all this while the impression was that we are just waiting for the pandemic to pass off. If we may recall, Goa was awarded hosting rights for the 2011 Games in 2008.
Gaude’s statement is significant in the wake of his predecessor Manohar Babu Ajgaonkar’s claim that Goa is ready to host the games. "Let the Indian Olympic Association decide when to start the games, our infrastructure is ready to host 36 disciplines and our stadiums are of national and international level," was Ajgaonkar’s retort at a press conference when questions were raised over the State’s level of preparedness. The questions before us today, are whether Ajgaonkar was lying about Goa being ready to host the Games knowing well that the IOA would be in no position to flag off the games during a pandemic? Or, is Gaude playing a game of one-upmanship trying to pick holes in the work of his predecessor? Also, if Goa is not ready yet, how long would it take and whether there is serious intent behind hosting the event?
If we may recall, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had stated in October 2021 that Goa is “almost ready” with infrastructure but had refrained from giving a timeline on when the Games could be flagged off. Interestingly, Sawant’s “nearly ready” assertion came when major work was still being undertaken at the Campal swimming pool, the baseball field at Campal, lawn courts at Chicalim, tennis courts at Fatorda, besides work on refurbishing the existing facilities.
Sadly, misleading statements have emerged from two sports ministers in the same government giving a new twist to the Games. It is important to have clarity on the status of the national sporting event because there’s a lot at stake, including public money and the sweat and toil of State athletes who are preparing for the games. Let’s not forget the fact that several athletes may have fallen out of their peak or given up the sport altogether during these 12 long years from 2011. Talking about money, according to figures presented by Ajgaonkar in the House last year, the State government has spent a whopping Rs 450 crore on infrastructure with Rs 121.80 coming from the central government as of July 2021.
While there has been a lot of flak against ministers making misleading statements in the past and then flattering to deceive, Sawant, who is in a relatively authoritative position this time, must undertake an appraisal and performance review of his cabinet colleagues. Ministers cannot take their portfolios for granted. As much as there is a need for accountability and transparency, there’s also a requirement for ministers to deliver on promises. Without any checks and balances, we will continue to have ministers making headline-grabbing and deceiving statements that will only create a feel-good factor. It’s time to get cracking.
