The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced on Saturday that the 2023 National Games will be held in Goa in October. To avoid conflicts with important international events, the dates of the 37th National Games will be decided later.
“The date of the 37th National Games will be decided later keeping in mind the dates of the 19th Asian Games, which will be held from September 23 to October 8 next year in Hangzhou, China,” said the general secretary. of the IOA, Rajeev Mehta, quoted by Olympic Games website. The 36th National Games, which were originally scheduled for 2016, were to be held in Goa while the 35th was held in Kerala in 2015.
However, the major event was moved to Gujarat earlier this year after being delayed again and again due to COVID-19. The National Games are now taking place. Goa will host the National Games for the first time this year.
Athletes from several Indian states and union territories compete for medals at the National Games, a multi-sport event with Olympic roots. The current National Games feature over 7,000 competitors competing in over 30 sports, including non-Olympic sports. Finding athletes with the potential to represent the nation at the Olympics is the goal of the National Games. Over the years, the National Games have featured notable Indian athletes including Neeraj Chopra, PT Usha, Dipa Karmakar and Sajan Prakash.
In unrecognized India, Lahore hosted the first National Games in 1924. Six Gujarati cities Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar host the current Games. (ANI)
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