Uttarakhand has expressed its desire to host the 38th National Games in 2018 and the Indian Olympic Association will take a decision on the matter in its General Body Meeting next month.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has expressed the interest to host the 38th National Games in a letter to IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta last month.
“It is requested to you that the responsibility of hosting the 38th National Games be given to Uttarakhand state and arrange a visit to the state by a team of experts to evaluate the existing sports infrastructure and suggest additional facilities so that the infrastructure can be developed as per the required standards of National Games,” Mr. Rawat said in the letter dated October 30.
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Mehta said that a decision on the hosting right of the National Games will be taken at the GBM of the IOA, which will be held next month as three years’ time is normally given to a host state.
“We have responded to the letter of the Chief Minister and have asked to complete the required formalities. We have asked them to furnish the Cabinet approval and bank guarantee of Rs. 2.5 crore so that we can take a decision,” Mehta, also president of Uttarakhand Olympic Association, told PTI .
“We will take a decision on 2018 National Games host state in the IOA GBM next month. A three years time is required for the host state to prepare for the National Games,” he added.
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Mehta said if Uttarakhand gets the hosting rights, it will put the state in the national sporting map.
“Uttarakhand was created in the same year as Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Jharkhand has hosted the National Games and it has now world class sports facilities. Chhattisgarh is hosting the 2017 National Games and the chief minister of the state will surely build a world class infrastructure as he is also the state Olympic body chief,” said Mehta.
“In this context, the proposal of Uttarakhand Chief Minister to host the 38th National Games is welcome. It will put the state in the national sporting map,” he added.
In his letter, Mr. Rawat said that a multi-sporting event of the stature of National Games would give a huge facelift to the sports infrastructure besides also benefiting the sportspersons of the state.
“As you are aware in the long period after the creation of the state, it has not hosted National Games till date. It has affected the development of sports infrastructure in a well-developed manner. Though we have constructed stadia, playground etc. in every region of the state, those need to be brought up to the national standards,” he said.
“Our view is that if the state gets to host the 38th National Games, our sports facilities can be upgraded to international standards and this will be beneficial to the sportspersons of the state,” the Chief Minister said in the letter.