VASCO
Mormugao is all set to host the 37th National Games with its entire sports infrastructure, barring one major facility, to be put to extensive use.
The Tilak Maidan football ground, the Chicalim multipurpose ground, Chicalim squash facility will be put to use for the football (women), lawn bowls and squash respectively. The Verna Birla Bypass road will be used for cycling (road race).
Cricket ground omitted
What is, however, pertinent is that the newly inaugurated cricket ground, which was earlier proposed to be used for the National Games, has been excluded after the intervention of the Sports Minister Govind Gaude.
Gaude, who has been personally monitoring arrangements across the State, has been a regular visitor to Vasco in the last few days.
When contacted, Gaude told The Goan that all the sports infrastructure in Mormugao have been up to the mark and had no shortcomings whatsoever as regards to hosting of National Games.
"Mormugao will be using three venues for football (women), lawn bowls and squash. I was just at the Chicalim Sports Complex to review the preparedness and I want to inform that we will not use the newly inaugurated cricket ground in Chicalim for any of the games.”
“We have, as of now, taken care of arrangements and identified the places for parking, medical van, ambulance, fire tenders, etc. We have also made places to accommodate a player's lounge, medical teams' area and other facilities like toilets also. We have ensured that it will be a well-planned event in Mormugao and all the three venues are 100 per cent ready.”
No shortfall
“There is no shortfall as such and we will only have arrangements for temporary set ups during the different events and there is no shortfall at least in Mormugao, which is all set to host the 37th National Games and all required arrangements will be ready by October 22," said Gaude.
When contacted, a senior official said the newly inaugurated cricket ground will not be used for the National Games, but a portion outside the boundary area of the ground would be used for lawn bowls practice.
"We cannot spoil the new cricket ground and we brought this to the notice of the minister. The agencies have come from Delhi and may not be fully aware of our sports infrastructure and they had proposed hangars in an area of around 7,500 square metres. The proposal has been modified and the hangar has been shifted and the parking moved near Jogger’s Park,” said the official.
“If the hangars are placed on the ground, the ground and the sprinkler system will get damaged. All re-arrangements have been done because there may be as many as 460 athletes accompanied by coaches, support staff and physios.”
Arrangements in place
“We also need to make arrangements for volunteers and food facilities. These arrangements were proposed on the cricket ground, and it has been removed from there and we need to get good coordination from different departments.”
“Everything is set but we need to issue a few notifications for road closure and parking of vehicles and even cordon off certain portions of road on a temporary basis. All these things have to be done and we may need few more permissions from the electricity department and public announcement systems and these statutory permissions are being sought.”
The official said authorities are also taking fire compliance of the sports venues.
“One agency is taking care of the accommodation, catering and transport, while another agency is taking care of another aspect including other allied arrangements. The AC cooling of the squash court is less, and we will provide vertical AC towers. Sports Minister Govind Gaude has reviewed the preparedness and suggested changes which are being implemented," said the official.
