Hosts Goa won a record number of 92 medals (27 gold, 27 silver and 38 bronze) at the 37th National Games to finish 9th overall in the medal tally, its best ever showing in National Games. Infact, this figure is more than the total number of medals Goa won from the past nine editions of National Games wherein it won five (Gujarat 2022), eleven (Kerala 2015), sixteen (Jharkhand 2011), five (Assam 2007), seven (Andhra Pradesh 2002), four (Punjab 2001), three (Manipur 1999), three (Karnataka 1997) and three (Maharashtra 1994) medals respectively.
Goa won medals in 16 disciplines - Athletics, Billiards and Snooker, Beach Soccer, Boxing, Modern Pentathlon, Netball, Pencak Silat, Sepak Takraw, Sqay Martial Arts, Squash, Swimming, Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wushu, Yachting and Yogasana. So, does this medal tally reflect Goa’s true “sporting prowess’? Can Goa be now called as a “sporting powerhouse”?
Certainly not. Goa’s sudden increase in medal tally as compared to previous editions of National Games gives a ‘false’ narrative of Goa’s sporting prowess. Goa won majority of these medals only with the support of ‘outstation’ players who represented Goa only for these National Games. Once the Games are over, the ‘outstation’ players will return to their ‘home’ state.
In Sepak Takraw, Goa won six out of the eight gold medals on offer as Goa’s men's team comprised of nine players (mostly Manipuri) in their ranks from the 2018 Asian Games bronze-medal winning contingent. Not surprisingly, the men swept all the four gold medals while the women's team also mostly comprising of 'outstation' players won two gold along with one each silver and bronze.
But, there is a silver lining. Among the medal winners, there were some genuinely good performances from ‘home-grown’ Goan talent who excelled due to their individual brilliance to make the state proud. The success stories of Babu Gaonkar (Modern Pentathlon), Kareena Shirodkar (Pencak Silat), Akanksha Salunke (Squash), Katya Coelho (Yachting), Dayne Coelho (Yachting), Sanjana Prabhugaonkar (Swimming), Shrungi Bandekar (Swimming) has given hope that Goan sport is heading in the right direction. Goa needs more such sporting stars.
For that, a lot more need to be done. There is an ample amount of sporting talent available in the state. Giving cash incentives to winning athletes is good. But, Goa needs to make use of the golden opportunity of the sporting infrastructure created for the National Games to groom and nurture a significant number of more talents in future who can make the state and country proud. On this front, Goa must learn from other states such as Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka, Punjab who have done consistently well in sports at the national and international level.
The biggest disappointment for Goa was the failure of its football team, both men’s and women’s who failed to win a medal in front of the home crowd. Apart from football, Goa did not win a single medal in more than 25 sports it participated. So, there is a lot of scope for improvement in those disciplines. Also, it’s an opportunity to analyze and find out in which sports does Goa stand a chance of winning a medal in future at the national level where it failed this time.
Uttarakhand will hold the next National Games in October – November 2024. It’s just a year away. Goa’s preparation for Uttarakhand 2024 must begin early. The performance in those Games without taking any support from ‘outstation’ players will reflect the true progress the state has made in the sporting arena. Otherwise, it will be like basking in ‘borrowed’ glory.
