Thursday, 06 JUNE 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Uttarakhand sports director Jitendra Sonkar has refuted the speculations running on rescheduling the 38th National Games slated to take place in Uttarakhand this year. The refutation was warranted by the conjecture abounding on the mega sports event being postponed to 2025 due to the conflicting schedule with the Olympic Games set to be held in France in July 2024. It was being said that the clash with the Olympic Games would make players unavailable, leading to the postponement of the National Games 2024.
The sports director dismissed such talks as rumours with no substance. “My department has not received any notification regarding a change in the schedule of the National Games 2024. In March, the department sent a letter to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), officially announcing that the 38th National Games would be held this year in the State. However, due to the enforcement of the model code of conduct (MCC), the IOA has not yet informed us about the dates,” he said.
He expressed hope that the IOA would promptly notify his department about the National Game’s dates after the end of the MCC.
Quizzed about the preparations, he assured that his department is fully prepared to organise the National Games this year with 90 per cent of the arrangements being already completed. “The remaining 10 per cent of will be done once the dates are finalised,” he added.
To recall, with the 37th National Games held in Goa in 2023, the upcoming 38th National Games are scheduled to be held in Uttarakhand this year. Additionally, to guarantee adequate preparation for the National Games 2024, the sports department had requested the IOA to dispatch the technical conduct committee to evaluate the preparations. The committee came and assessed the preparations. It then suggested some adjustments to the officials concerned.
