National Games to have fewer medal events

The 35th National Games to be hosted by Kerala early next year will be leaner in terms of medals when compared to the last edition held in Ranchi, Jharkhand, in 2011.

While the Ranchi event had competitions in as many as 444 events, the Kerala Games will see a drastic reduction of medal events, as the two-day meeting held here over Tuesday and Wednesday between the IOA-appointed Games Technical Conduct Committee and Coordination Committee, and the Director of Competitions in the various disciplines decided that competitions be held in only those events which featured in the last editions of the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.

NGOC sources told

The Hindu that a final decision will be taken only after the proposal is cleared by the IOA top brass.

Addressing the media after the meeting, the GTCC chairman, K. Murugan, and the Coordination Committee chairman, S.M. Bali, said the cut-off dates for the qualifying events will 90 days prior to the actual dates of the Games.

The meetings were attended by Directors of Competitions of 31 of the 34 disciplines included in the Games.

The National federation concerned will decide on the qualifying events or could nominate athletes/teams based on the performances in the previous National championships. Accreditation for each State contingent will be done through the State Olympic Associations after the cut-off date.

Mr. Murugan said the meeting also gave its approval to the list of equipments (both imported and indigenous) to be procured by the NGOC for the conduct of the Games. “This is a priority area and we are hopeful that the NGOC will be able to keep its promise of getting all the equipments by October this year,” he said.

Mr. Murugan also added that several Directors of Competitions also undertook site visits to the venues within the city and the general consensus was that the preparations for the Games were well on track. “The only area of concern as of now is the shooting range, but the NGOC has promised us that the work will be completed by October end. They are working with a definite plan in mind, and we have no complaints,” he said.