Porvorim: Goa government on Wednesday told the House that the state has asked Indian Olympics Association (IOA) to provide minimum five to six months lead time to host National Games.
State Sports Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar told the ongoing legislative assembly session that scheduled dates of March-April to host the National Games had to be rescheduled due to Lok Sabha election and by-polls in various assembly segments.
Ajgaonkar said that the 36thNational Games was awarded to be hosted in Goa in 2011 but since all the previous Games’ editions were delayed, the coastal state could not host it.
He was responding to a Question tabled by Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco on the floor of the House.
“When the new state government took over in 2017, the government in consultation with the IOA had decided to host the Games in March-April 2019,” the minister said.
Ajgaonkar said that in January 2019, after understanding that the Assembly bye- elections, Parliamentary elections were to be scheduled and the Model Code of Conduct was to be in-force for a long period of time, state government requested IOA to postpone the hosting of the Games to November 2019.
“The IOA reverted on Government of Goa’s proposal only on July 22, 2019, and with just 100 days left for the preparations, the state Government has requested the IOA to accordingly relook at the dates announced and to provide a minimum of 5-6 months lead time to Goa State for Games and State team’s preparations,” he added.
Responding to yet another question, Ajgaonkar said that State Government has received Rs.97.80 Cr (Rs. 12 Crores in the year 2009-10, Rs. 35 Crores in the year 2010-11, Rs. 35 Crores in the year 2011-12 and Rs. 15.80 Crores in the year 2013-14) from the Central Government towards the infrastructure development for the National Games.
