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The 37th edition of the National Games of India, also known as Goa 2023, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 25 in Panaji, the capital city of Goa. The Games will be held from October 25 to November 9 in various venues across the coastal state, which is hosting the event for the first time.
The National Games are India's premier multi-sport event, where athletes from different states and UTs compete for medals in over 30 disciplines, including Olympic and non-Olympic sports. The Games aim to identify and nurture sporting talent that can represent the country at the international level.
“There should be promotion of sports in the state due to the National Games. We aim to promote sports in the state in the wake of the National Games,” the Sports Minister said. Gaude said the aim of the government is “not just to create a sportsperson for Goa, but he should also play for the national team.”
The Sports Minister also assured that the reward money for the medal winners, as promised by the state government, would be released before September and declared that the state government would grant the associations INR 2.54 Crore as a grant and allocate INR 73 Lakh as cash prizes for the medal winners. According to Gaude, the government is open to letting local clubs, associations, and panchayats take care of the grounds in their respective jurisdictions.
The Minister further said that the sports associations should play a role in maintaining the existing infrastructure. “Some of the associations are not getting the grants because they have failed to provide the utilization certificates,” he said.
Minister Gaude also disclosed that the Goa Youth Board, which will supervise the execution of state youth policy. Goa will be hosting the National Games for the first time this year. Goa was chosen to host the 36th edition, which was initially planned for 2016, but Gujarat hosted the major event last year after numerous postponements.
