Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra has said that Goa is fully equipped to host the National Games from October 20 to November 4. Batra was in the Kerala capital on his way back from Goa after reviewing the arrangements there. He also stressed that the country needs to take the National Games seriously.
“It should not be taken lightly. I’m very particular that the event should be held every two years,”
he said. After reviewing infrastructure in Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya, Batra opined that none of the locations is lacking in any way at the moment. The IOA president also said he was hopeful that the men’s and women’s hockey teams will make it to the podium at the 2020 Olympics. “The women’s team first entered the qualifying round at the Rio Olympics in 2016. There is a new vigour in the both teams,” he said. The 62-year-old also added that the country will win double digit medals in the upcoming Olympics.
India has proposed to host the shooting event in the Commonwealth Games. However, a decision from the executive board of the Commonwealth Games is yet to come. Either Delhi or Chandigarh will host it according to him. He also said that India will bid to host the Youth Olympic Games 2023.
Meeting with CM
Batra met with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to discuss the prospects of holding certain international events in Kerala. The state’s climate, tourist destinations and hospitality of the people makes it an ideal place to host according to him. He also said it was good for Kerala to have multi-purpose stadiums in all districts. “We are now working with state governments to set up high-performance centres. Kerala being a literate state, it is necessary for us to come here.”