Pride at stake 

Apart from climatic hurdles, infighting and inaction have also put National Games 2005 in jeopardy.

Sandeep Banerjee

IT is official now. National Games won’t be held as scheduled in November 2005. Though new dates haven’t been announced, it is believed that the deferment will at least be for a couple of months – if not more.

That would not only mean the National Games 2005 will not be held in the same calendar year. There is a possibility that the new dates may clash with the forthcoming Assembly polls, scheduled to be held in mid-2006.

However, the turn of events was not unexpected. Rather, it was almost imminent since the time the State bagged the right to hold the 33rd games. Climatic hurdles apart, rampant infighting, within the apex sports bodies like the Assam Olympic Association (AOA), inaction and total lack of planning on part of the State Government resulted is a situation where question started popping up Guwahati can at all host the games.

The monsoon of 2004 had played havoc with the preparation of the games. The work on creating infrastructural facilities got delayed. The State Government all thorough maintained a brave face by claiming the games would be held on time. But this brave stance was not supported by action.

Slowly but surely, the rift between the AOA and the National Games secretariat (NGS) developed and widened. First the NGS decided to constitute an apex panel involving senior bureaucrats to monitor funds released to the sub-committees set up for the conduct of the games.

NGS secretary Pradip Hazarika said that the panel has been necessitated as huge government funds would be released to these committees. He also clarified that government officers have been appointed convenors in order to ensure accountability.

AOA was furious about the plan and alleged it a violation of rules for technical conduct of the games.

“The government officials will be under Dispur’s command and so these won’t be a problem getting accounts from them which is not     in the case of AOA office-bearers   or State sports bodies” said     Pradip Hazarika.

However AOA secretary Mukut Medhi dismissed the claims     saying – “when there is no involvement of government money, why should the NGS be accountable to sponsors’ money?”

That the AOA and Mr. Medhi are being sidelined by NGS and his name is missing from several key committees. The rift even came in the way of Arjuna Award winner Bhogeswar Baruah’s decision to take over as the Chef-de-mission of the Assam contingent in the National Games.

Barua was in Guwahati for couple of days and he met Assam players in the preparatory camp for the games. He heard a first-hand account of the problems plaguing the preparations of the games, including lack of equipment. Thereafter he became hesitant to accept the honour.At first he looked very eager.  But after his two-day visit he said – “I will need some more time to decide on the offer.”

The comment of an AOA official on this episode says it all – “This is not the right way to prepare. Anybody in his right mind will be apprehensive of associating himself with the games. First the games village project was improperly handled, hampering preparations. Now these ego clashes have cropped up. For the good of the games and for the sake of the image of Assam, bygones should be bygones and right spirit should come up.”

Going beyond the rift between the NGS and AOA, there is huge infighting within the AOA. This came out in the open when most of the office-bearers of the AOA remain conspicuous by their absence. At the 18th Olympic Day Run of July 3.

This is an annual affair and         it had attracted thousands till the last edition. But, this year, the run was a low key affair, despite the fact that National Games is round the corner. Barring the Chief Minister, who is also the president of AOA and few other AOA officials, senior functionaries of the organisation stayed away from the run. Public participation was also lukewarm. With the sole exception of Deepankar Bhattercharjee, not a single sports personality turned   up, which not only raised eyebrows, but also was a huge loss of face for the AOA.

Ridiculous as it may sound but the games technical conduct committee (GTCC), which will be responsible for the conduction of the games, haven’t formed yet. The Chief Minister had reportedly assured the AOA that the GTCC would be convened soon. But his assurances are yet to bear fruit.

Sources in the AOA say that the Chief Minister is not aware of the significance of GTCC and therefore is not taking an active interest in the constitution of the same. The NGS has said that it has submitted a draft proposal with regard to the GTCC to the IOA and is waiting for the IOA to approve it. It is learnt that the local organising committee for the National Games is responsible for constituting the committee.

Even at this eleventh hour, venues are not fixed. The crisis over the water sports venue continues to plague the games organisers. The NGOs and the Water sports bodies – Assam Boat Racing and rowing Association and Assam Kayaking Association – are still delebarating on the venue. The NGS wants to hold the water sports at the backwater of Brahmaputra in Sualkuchi. However the organisations rejected the proposal on the ground that the flow of water in the selected area is not sufficient. The organisations want these events to be held at Deepor Bill on the outskirts of Guwahati. But the NGS is apprehensive about getting clearance from the forest and environment departments.

It was only about a month’s back that STUP consultants, the consultancy firm responsible for   the infrastructure development of the games, requested Larsen & Tubro (L&T) to increase its manpower to speed up the work. STUP consultants said to the NGS that the shortage of skilled and unskilled manpower is slowing down the pace of work. They also suggested mobilisation of adequate materials and cranes to hasten up the work and also noted that improper roadwork and drainage are causing delay.

But the final nail in the coffin came when a huge number of labourers quit the work after not receiving payments from L&T. The L&T passed on the blame to Dispur for having not received payments against bills pending since April this year. The L&T minced no words in saying that work has been hampered and it won’t be able to meet the October 31 dateline.

This left the State Government with no options. The official decision of the postponement of the games came in the special general meeting of the AOA. The Chief Minister himself presided over the meet and declared that the games will be deffered from its schedule as the construction work of the games village will not be completed in time.

Minister of State for Home Rockybul Hussain,on behalf of the State Government has asserted that Assam will surely hold the games but a three months delay is imminent. Speaking in the Assembly, he also made some clarifications about funds received by the government and the amount spent:-

Against the total of Rs. 113.14 crore received from various  sources (DONER- Rs. 55.1cr, Planning Commission - Rs. 35.16cr, State plan Rs. 15.68cr, Finance Commission Rs. 7.2cr ), the government has spent Rs. 94.45 cr —— this includes the cost of land acquisition. The govt has also received another Rs. 13.5cr but it has not been released yet.

But the L&T is still harping that it is yet to receive the due amount.from the State Government.

According to the Minister among the 10 games venues maximum work has been done at the 2000 capacity hockey stadium in Bhetapara,     where 77% work has been completed. Work on the main stadium & acquatics complex at Sarusajai are progressing well.

Minister of State for Finance, Himanta Biswa Sarma also said in    the house that work on the venues will be finished by Nov ’05 and the games village will be ready by Dec’ 05. “After that it is upto the IOA to fix the dates, the ball is in their court”, he said.

But no fresh dates have been given. An AOA sources revealed that the Chief Minister and other AOA officials would sit with L&T to know when the construction company would be able to hand over the infrastructural facilities to the organizing committee. Only after knowing the exact dates, fresh dates for holding the games would be announced. The meeting also appointed AOA treasurer and State minister Rokybul Hussain and sports advisor to Chief Minister Robin Bordoloi as the spokespersons. Apart from these two all other AOA members have been barred from talking to media. It is believed that this move is a direct consequence of the frustration of the AOA officials over different news items coming out r5egarding National Games.

There are some other roadblocks too. The United Liberation Font of Asom (ULFA) had warned the L&T of dire consequences if it did not stop construction works. Although the L&T officials have played down the threat overtly,  it is very apparent the deep inside they are weary of being targeted by the underground organisations. Earlier, ULFA had set the tone by asking the people of the State to boycott the games. ULFA chairman Arvind Rajkhowa termed the decision of holding the National Games in the State as politically motivated.

Meanwhile, AOA has decided to appeal to India Olympic association (IOA) to allow it to accommodate the athletes and officials of the National Games outside the games village. It may be mentioned here that the games village under construction for this purpose may not be completed on time.

It is learnt that the financing of the games village is the main hindering factor that can delay the games to an extent that it’s very holding can get jeopardised. Other infrastructure building works are nearing completion and will be readied on time. But with the amount of work left for the games village will take couple of more months to be completed.

Though Assam Chief Minister is hopeful of holding the games before Assembly polls in the State, it is highly unlikely that the games will start from January 15, 2006 if the national body refuses to entertain AOA’s plea.

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