Referring to the news item appeared in Goan news media 20.04.19, stating that “Goa fined Rs. 10 crores for missing Nat Games deadline”, though it is deserving yet my Goan feelings and patriotism are a bit hurt. I don’t know why for so many times Goa had to defer the hosting of these Games thereby putting into inconvenience not only the Indian Olympic Association but more than that the participating athletes and sportspersons who based on the scheduled date prepare themselves with vigorous practices bringing the body conditioning to the highest peak to win the medals. And after undergoing such a grueling training, the concerned authority declares its inability to host the games means something drastically wrong, first with the host for not doing its planning properly to prepare itself with all the facilities and secondly the IOA for being inefficient in overseeing the preparations of all the facilities by the host, Goa.
Parricar was boasting that we will organize the hosting of National Games with pomp and grandeur but Parricar was Parricar whose love and knowledge for sports was zero, he was not Dayandanda Bandodcar who was the genuine great sports lover under whose dynamic leadership the first ever National Foot-ball Tournament “Santosh Trophy” was so beautifully organized in Goa somewhere in 1971/72. Though the time was short yet Bandodcar did everything possible to prepare not only one Stadium but 3 major Stadia one each in Panjim, Margao and Vasco whereas while speaking to Ziauddin based in Bombay and who was the big man of AIFF, Bandodcar said: “you in Bombay having such a long history and tradition of hosting national and international soccer matches, you have only one foot-ball ground while we in Goa just in our infancy in holding such events at All India level, we have 3 big Stadia.
Now, regarding the hefty fine, who is responsible for this fine and who will pay this fine and from whose pocket? It is become habit here for our officials to commit the mistakes and when such fines and penalties are imposed then the tax payers money are paid. This is not correct.
A.Veronica Fernandes.