PANAJI
Even as Goa is gung-ho about hosting the 37th edition of the prestigious National Games and competition in some disciplines has in fact begun, the Games have already left a bitter taste in some mouths with the State's sports associations excluding some of their top players in preference for outstation stars in their quest to put up a respectable performance and bag a few medals.
Several athletes, notably badminton players and boxers have publicly denounced the move to field outstation players in the Goa squads leaving them out despite training hard in preparation for the Games.
One chief reason why the State sports associations in several disciplines have chosen to ignore their own top players and instead field top stars from elsewhere in the Goan squads is the undeniable reality that the State is nowhere close in terms of prowess to the top eight States in any of the 43 disciplines.
The National Games is a competition that needs qualification standards to compete. In team disciplines, only the top eight teams are permitted to compete.
"In a scenario where Goa does not qualify and meet the standards in most of the disciplines but is allowed participation by virtue of being hosts, a conscious decision was taken to permit associations to borrow players from elsewhere so we put up a respectable performance," said a senior official of the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG).
Nonetheless, this decision of the administrators has left several Goan athletes who were eager to represent the State at the prestigious Games before a home crowd emotionally shattered and some have even formally registered protests, notably shuttlers and pugilists.
For the record, Goa's Sports Minister Govind Gaude has said that the State's associations have been asked to maintain a 70-30 ratio in terms of local and outstation players.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) which is the governing body of the National Games and the national federations have a statute which permit athletes who for the purpose of studies or a job migrate to another State to play for the latter, provided they have resided there for a minimum of six months.
Meanwhile, wading into the debate and raising their voice for local athletes were some of Goa's politicians.
After three Goan shuttlers wrote an emotional letter to the Goa Badminton Association officials and also to the Chief Minister and Sports Minister questioning their exclusion to accommodate outstation stars, Aldona MLA, Carlos Alvares Ferreira waded into the debate.
Fereira met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and lodged a protest over the issue. He also accused the association of corruption and demanded that an inquiry be conducted in relation to the selection of the Goa squad for the National Games.
Apart from the badminton players, several others, including some boxers too have raised a hue and cry on the issue.
Some boxers have written to the government in protest that their association has not even respected the SAG's fiat to maintain a 70-30 ratio in favour of local athletes.
Nearly half of the Goan boxing contingent comprises of outsiders and at least three boxers have written to the government in protest.
According to Narahar Thakur, who heads the Goa Badminton Association (GBA), outstation players were brought in with the conviction that they will boost the performance of the full contingent.
It was never the idea to subjugate our players. It was to enhance their play and see if we could win some medals to boost our standing as we are the hosts,” Thakur said.
