PANAJI
The torch unveiling ceremony for the National Games scheduled to be hosted by Goa in October will be held at the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan on Friday but a number of sports associations are threatening to boycott it because funds they were promised to conduct preparatory camps of Goan squads in various disciplines have still not come.
The games are to be held in Goa from October 25 to November 9.
According to Goa Olympic Association (GOA) Secretary General, Gurudutta Bhakta, the funds were promised to the various associations for the preparatory camps as well as to buy equipment.
Initially, several of the Associations had planned to conduct 45-day and even 90-day camps to ensure a good showing in the competitions by the host State.
"However since the funds are yet to come, the Associations are now in a fix," according to an official of a sports association who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution from the SAG.
The torch unveiling programme is slated to be held at 4.30 pm on Friday at the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan in Dona Paula.
At least Rs 20-25 lakh is needed to conduct the camps by conservative estimates, the sports administrator told The Goan.
Bhakta meanwhile said, that there is written communication to the government that 80 per cent of the funds must be released in advance for conduct of the camp.
"But still these funds have not come," Bhakta said, adding that it is very unlikely that the sports associations will be disbursed this money and that the State teams should have already begun their preparatory camps.
The National Games is an elite Olympics-styled competition where the top 7-8 ranking States compete for top honours. Goa does not make the cut in most disciplines, but qualifies to participate by virtue of being the host State.
Bhakta meanwhile, said Union Minister Shripad Naik, who is the president of GOA, is in Delhi and he is unaware if he will come to Goa on Friday, when the torch unveiling ceremony will be held. He said, he will discuss the funds issue with Naik and try to get it resolved.
As many as 29 of the 32 sports associations in the State had expressed their inability to conduct the camps without being given the funds by the SAG.
Only the Goa Football Association (GBA), Goa Badminton Association and the Squash association had said that they will manage the camps without the funds coming in advance.
In June this year, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had unveiled the Mascot MOGA which represents Indian Bison for National Games at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium. The National Games jersey was also unveiled.
