The Indian Olympic Association on Sunday threatened to shift the 36th National Games out of Goa after the coastal state once again expressed its inability to host the multi-sporting event in November.
IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said that the nationalapex body’s Executive Board will soon meet to discuss the option of shiftingthe Games elsewhere after the Goa government sought postponement of themulti-sporting event next year.
“The Goa government has sought postponement afterpostponement. After seeking a postponement, they will say all right we willhold the Games but afterwards will say we cannot hold it at these period andwill seek another postponement,” Mehta told PTI.
“We are losing patience because we have startedrealising that the Goa government lacks commitment to host the Games. The IOAExecutive Council will very soon have a meeting and discuss the option ofshifting the Games elsewhere. We will then plan out and go ahead (for anyalternative venue). It cannot continue like this on and on,” he added.
After Kerala hosted the previous edition in 2015, Goa hasstruggled to create the infrastructure. Four postponements have been sought inthe last three years.
The Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said a few days backthat it will not be possible to host the National Games on the scheduled datein November and sought time for next year.The next three National Games have already beenallotted to Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya.