JOVITO LOPES
jovito@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Former queen of track and field, P T Usha, who is currently the President of Indian Olympic Committee (IOA), will be on a short one-day visit to Goa from April 26 to oversee the preparations for hosting the 37th National Games slated to be held in October-November in Goa.
P T Usha will be accompanied by AIFF President Mr Kalyan Chaubey who is the Joint Secretary, IOA, and another IOA member. The delegation is expected to arrive late on Tuesday.
P T Usha, one of India's greatest athletes, who is the first woman President of IOA (elected in 2022), in its 95-year history and the first Olympian appointed as IOA President, is expected to meet with the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant; Sports Minister, Mr Govind Gaude; the Chief Secretary, the Sports Secretary to discuss about the organisation of the forthcoming National Games in Goa.
P T Usha, the Padma Shree and Arjuna Awardee, who won 4 Asian gold and 7 silver medals, and nominated as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, in 2022, is also expected to visit some of the close-by venues for hosting the Games.
Meanwhile, a 3-member delegation headed by Sports Minister, Mr Gaude alongwith OSD Dr Sandeep Warliker and SAG's Chief Engineer C A Rangarajan, visited Pune and inspected the Poona Golf Club, Oxford Golf Resort; Balewadi Sports Complex (cycling velodrome, tennis, shooting range) as alternate venue for hosting the events of the National Games.
As per the initial plan, shooting and cycling were planned to be held in New Delhi. The visit to Pune has been thought of as an alternate arrangement mostly due to the financial cost involved therein in organising the events.
It may be recalled that the visiting IOA technical delegation which visited Goa recently, had found several deficiencies with the golf course at Canacona as well as the rowing and canoeing facilities in the State.