PANAJI:
Sports Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar formally announced the postponement of the National Games, the 36th edition of which Goa was slated to host from March 30 to April 14 this year.
Ajgaonkar made the announcement on Tuesday after he and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar held a meeting with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) official Mukesh Kumar who is also the chairman of the technical commission for the conduct of the Games.
The Sports Minister said the Games will now be held after the monsoon some time in October-November.
The development comes after the Goa government officially flagged the possible clash of the March-April schedule with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and also the by-polls to the Mandrem and Shiroda Assembly seats.
The clash with the end of academic year examination season also raised hurdles in the plan to organise a nearly 4000-strong volunteer force from among students to assist in the organisational work.
Kumar meanwhile told the media after his meetings with the Chief Minister and Sports Minister that the IOA, although initially adamant about sticking to the schedule had no option after the "genuine issue" of clash with the Lok Sabha elections was raised by Goa.
"The question of whether Goa Olympic Association will be slapped with the punitive fine of Rs 10 crore or not will be decided by the IOA's governing body," Kumar said, but confirmed that the Games will be postponed and rescheduled after the monsoon in 2019 itself.
