National Games 2017: IOA not convinced about Goa's preparedness to host showpiece event

Margao: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday said it was not fully convinced about Goa’s preparedness to host the showpiece event this year. IOA’s National Games adviser Anandeshwar Panday, who was here to check the ground reality of Goa’s preparedness to host the National Games this year, said that the purpose of his visit was to see the situation first hand. “The reason for this visit was to see Goa’s preparedness after the Games has got postponed so many times. The IOA and even other states don’t believe that Goa will host the National Games. The Goa Olympic Association have been telling lies every time that Goa is ready but they were not ready,” Panday said after he visited a few facilities that were built for the National Games. [caption id=“attachment_2215276” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational Image. AFP[/caption] The National Games adviser said Goa still needs to convince the IOA that they are serious about hosting the Games. “Right now, the IOA is not convinced that Goa will be able to host the National Games. In fact, a lot of states have shown their willingness to host the National Games within one year,” Pandey said. Meanwhile, VM Prabhudesai, the Executive Director of the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Goa, revealed that a meeting between IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta and the Goa Chief Minister was expected to happen over the next few days. “The IOA Secretary General was supposed to meet the Chief Minister a few days ago. It was postponed because the CM had gone to attend the swearing in ceremony of the new Vice President of India. But the meeting should happen in the coming few days. The Goa Olympic Association is in constant touch with the IOA Secretary General,” Prabhudesai said. “The Government is very keen on hosting the Games and it is a foregone conclusion that the Games will be held,” he added. Prabhudesai said Goa was targeting to host the Games by October-November 2018. “The Government is very keen to host the Games. The State Government has allotted Rs 110 crore exclusively for the National Games. We are looking to host the Games in October- November 2018,” he said.