Chances remote for AP to host 2019 Nl Games

Nellore: Sports lovers in the State may probably miss the opportunity to witness the much-awaited National Games scheduled to be held in 2019. A severe communication gap reportedly arose between the State administration and the AP Olympic Association which finally resulted in the present situation where the Games are unlikely to take place in the State.

In fact, there has been much hype on the event across the State and still there are remote chances of the prestigious event being held in AP, according to officials. According to confidential sources, officials of the SAAP have failed to get necessary permissions from the AP Olympic Association.

It may be recalled that the Indian Olympic Association meeting in 2015 had decided to organise the National Games in Andhra Pradesh after the Uttarakhand government expressed its inability to host the Games.

Subsequently, AP had submitted its bid to host the 2019 edition and paid Rs 5 crore as deposit. But, since then, there was no considerable follow up from the State government and finally a technical problem arose for conducting the event next year.

The officials at the State level who are responsible for conducting the Games have obtained permissions from the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh. They, in fact, had to obtain such permission also from the National Olympic Association through its State body.

The National Olympic Association had returned the first installment money directing them to route through the State body. AP Olympics Association was reportedly dissatisfied with the attitude of the SAAP authorities and the deadlock still continues and now there are limited chances for conducting the National Games in the State next year.

Goa is conducting the Games this year and Chhattisgarh is conducting the National Games next year. Further, the district administration had allocated 150 acres of land at Mogallapalem in Nellore rural mandal for conducting selected events. Officials planned to organise the events in different parts of the State.

Special Chief Secretary for Youth Affairs L V Subrahmanyam also visited the sports village in February 2016 and expressed his satisfaction over the site.

Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture department of the Centre has given administrative sanction for Rs 8 crore for taking up various works of Multipurpose Indoor Stadium where some events of the National Games-2019 were proposed.

A sum of Rs 4.5 crore was also sanctioned by the State government for developing permanent protection to the site such as bio-fencing with gate, approach roads, electricity, borewell with pumpset and others. Tenders have been called and works were handed over to agencies for execution.

“The structures developed here would be utilised for other purposes by SAAP for conducting events. This is very useful for the sports sector in the district as there are scanty facilities in the district. Due to technical problems there are limited chances for conducting the event next year,” said a senior official from SAAP.