IOA looks to build National Games brand value

New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) wants the country’s top athletes to take part in the National Games so that a brand value can be created around the multi-sport event to attract sponsorship money.

Hosting the multi-discipline games, a biennial event, has become a messy affair in recent times due to multiple delays, and only one National Games -- in Gujarat last year -- have been held since the 35th edition in Kerala in 2015.

“IOA’s main property is the National Games. If top players do not participate in the National Games, what is the use of hosting them. If they (top athletes) take part, television revenue from the National Games will go up, people will watch players of calibre,” IOA joint secretary and acting Chief Executive Officer Kalyan Chaubey told PTI on Sunday.

Goa has been confirmed during IOA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday as host of the 37th edition in November.

IOA president P T Usha told PTI on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be requested to inaugurate the games in Goa in November. The state was to hold the event in 2016 but there were multiple delays, mainly due to infrastructure-related problems.

Since Goa was facing problems, the 36th edition was held in Gujarat in September-October last year, but Olympic medallists like Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu missed out either due to injuries or their scheduled training abroad.

“We want the NSFs (National Sports Federations) to send their top-class athletes to take part in National Games. Sometimes, the NSFs send their second-tier and third-tier athletes because they think their first tier will play only in the Asian Games and Olympics,” Chaubey said.

“If the top athletes play in National Games, it will create value for the Games, other athletes can also learn from them. They will be inspired to perform better, that will promote the second tier of players to do better. So, we want to discuss this with the NSFs and we want their co-operation.”

The IOA AGM on Saturday also passed the audited statements of accounts for 2019-20 and 2020-21 on the condition that the current dispensation under Usha will not be liable for wrongdoing, if any, by the earlier regime. Chaubey, however, said that the statements of accounts for 2019-20 and 2020-21 have not been sent for auditing again.

“It (account) was passed on conditional statement and notes that since it was the balance sheet of the previous regime, if there were any financial irregularities, the current body will not be liable for that.

“It is statutory that we have to pass it, otherwise we cannot move forward. If it is not done (passed), we cannot make the next balance sheet.”