The third edition of the Lusofonia Games are due to be held in Goa in November 2013. With less than a year to go, the state seems unprepared, in terms of infrastructure and personnel
“We will strive to have everything in place three to fourmonths before the start of Lusofonia Games,” is what the Lusofonia 2013 websitestates, quoting Goa’s Chief Minister and the President of Goa OlympicAssociation (GOA), Manohar Parrikar. An uphill task, if one is to go by groundreality.
The Games are less than a year away, beginning November 2,2013, and tendering of some of the major infrastructure works is yet to befinalised. To add insult to injury, the only stadium at Fatorda, which is to bemain venue of the Games, needs a complete overhaul. Will the Goa OlympicAssociation (GOA) and Parrikar be able to meet the deadline and put upinfrastructure that will meet international standards set by the parentorganisation -Associacao dosComitesOlimpicos de Lingua Oficial Portuguesa (ACOLOP)? Some believe they can.
“Go and see, at the moment we have zero infrastructure,”said Vero Nunes, President of the Goa Table Tennis Association. “But it ispossible. If Monte de Cruz could put up the Fatorda Stadium in 6 months, thegovernment should be able to put up the infrastructure in time,” he added.
Echoing a similar sentiment was Anita Rodrigues, the secretaryof Goa Masters Athletes Association. “If the CM takes the initiative, he can doit,” said Anita, who led the Athletics delegation at the 2nd Lusofonia Games inLisbon in 2009.
Infrastructure apart, the hosting of the Games is alsoriddled with other organisational problems. Most of the state federations areunprepared for the Games and blame the Sports Authority of Goa for itslackadaisical approach. “Our table tennis players have no place even topractise in the South (Goa),” revealed Nunes. “Apart from that, they (the SAG)have not found a replacement for the coach that left us. So, how do you expectus to compete against world teams?” he queried.
A battle is also brewing over the composition of the varioussquads with respect to Goan and out of state players. But, probably the laststraw on the camel’s back is the demand of San Andre MLA Vishnu Wagh to scrapthe Games altogether. “We do not need to spend so much money for these games.It is a waste. I am going to raise the issue with my party.” Probably hintingthat Goa accepted the bid for the games in 2009, when it was ruled by theerstwhile Congress-led government.
It’s only a matter of time, in fact, a little less than 350days, before the whole Lusofonia Games drama unfolds.
