The Hindu : Sport : Kerala to sign Host City Contract today

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Kerala to sign Host City Contract today

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala will take its first step towards hosting the 35th National Games by signing the Host City Contract (HCC) with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in New Delhi on Friday.

Already a high-level delegation led by the Sports Minister, M. Vijayakumar, is in New Delhi for ceremony at the IOA headquarters at 10.30 a.m. on Friday.

Talking to The Hindu prior to his departure, Mr. Vijayakumar said the contract, a tripartite one, between the IOA, the State Government and the Kerala Olympic Association, will mark the official launch on the preparations for the Games being held in Kerala for a second time since 1987.

Besides the minister, the delegation comprises the Kerala State Sports Council President, T.P. Dasan, the Chief Secretary, P.J. Thomas, Secretary (Sports) Teekaram Meena, Director (Sports & Youth Affairs) G. Kishore and the KOA President, M.M. Abdul Rehman and Secretary P.A. Hamza.

The contract will cover all aspects related to the organisation of the Games in either January or February 2010.

Detailed proposal

The Government will soon be submitting a detailed proposal seeking financial assistance from the Union Government. This will be to the tune of Rs. 1,000 crore as the proposals would include not only creation of necessary infrastructure in the cities which will host the Games but also in other centres across the State.

Mr. Vijayakumar said that the Union Government had sanctioned Rs. 500 crore to Assam initially for the conduct of the 33rd National Games last year and thereafter an additional sum of Rs. 100 crore for the same purpose. “So, I think there is no reason to believe that the Union Government will flatly refuse our demands for a higher level of financial assistance,” the Minister said.

The delegation, while in New Delhi, is also likely to call on the Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs, M.S. Gill, and hold initial talks regarding the financial assistance being sought for the conduct of the National Games.

In the meanwhile, official sources told The Hindu that the delegation will be pressing hard to remove several contentious issues included in the Host City Contract, prepared by the IOA.

Already backroom parleys are on to sort out the differences which include the provision of a Rs. 1 crore fine if the State and the Organising Committee were to seek a postponement on the dates.

The delegation will also be trying to impress upon the IOA the need for more time to host the Games as creation of infrastructure and the Games Village will require at least a minimum period of two years. Consequently, the dates which the State would be seeking for would be December 2010/ January 2011.

The delegation will also be discussing the venues for the Games with the IOA. While Thiruvananthapuram will be the main venue for the extravaganza, the Government, given the peculiar conditions prevailing in the State, will also be pushing the cause of Kochi and Kozhikode.

The Organising Committee for the Games will be formed only after a team deputed by the IOA visits the State to inspect existing facilities. This could happen either during the fag end of this month or early December, the sources maintained.

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