Much-delayed National Games to be held from Oct 20 to Nov 4 next year: IOA

The much-delayed 36th National Games will be staged in Goa from October 20 to November 4 next year, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said here on Saturday.

The IOA finalised the dates during its meeting with the Goan delegation here on Saturday.

"It was finalised in a meeting here today and the National Games will be held in October-November next year. The Goan officials have promised that they will have all the facilities and infrastructure ready this time," IOA secretary-general Rajeev Mehta told PTI.

The meeting was attended by IOA top brass and delegation from Goa, including Sports Minister Babu Azgaonkar, Sports Secretary J Ashok Kumar, VM Prabhudesai, Kriahnamurthy and Engineer Anil Ringne.

Non-completion of the requisite infrastructure in Goa has been one of the reasons behind the multiple delay in hosting the Games, the last edition of which was held in Jharkhand in 2011.

However, Engineer Ringne on Saturday assured that the infrastructure work will be completed well in time.

Goa was earlier supposed to host the 36th edition of the National Games in November last year. However, the state later set aside dates for the event from March 30 to April 14 this year, but then expressed its inability to host the Games during that period owing to the general elections.

The IOA in April had asked Goa to pay a penalty of Rs 10 crore for repeatedly postponing the National Games. However, the state government urged the IOA to write off the penalty, assuring that there would be no further delay in organising the Games.