Panaji: Sports Minister Govind Gaude on Thursday said that the coastal state will be ready for hosting National Games by December this year.
Gaude told reporters in Panaji that the reports about National Games being shifted to Gujarat is a “media speculations.”
The minister said that the Sports infrastructure is ready in Goa to host the National Games but they still require the final touch.
Gaude said that due to the incessant rains and 45 days period required for completing the formalities, Goa will not be able to host the games before November-December.
He said that Indian Olympics Association (IOA) had asked Goa government to host the National Games between September 06-16, 2022.
“But I have informed the Indian Olympics Association that we are not ready to host them till December 2022,” Gaude said.
The minister said that if Goa skips the hosting of National Games this year, Goa will host it next year.
Gaude said that the coastal state is already getting ready to host international events like Women’s Football World Cup and Asian Beach Games.
“We will be using the existing Sports infrastructure to host these events,” he said.
Goa was chosen as a destination to host National Games in the year 2008 but due to different reasons the State has failed to host them.
Gaude said that his government does not want to dwell into the past but want to look at future.
This BJP Government is standing on the Shoulders of the Independent & MGP MLAs. They are anti-BJP MLAs because they won against the BJP. Anytime they can pull this BJP Government down, because they won against the BJP.