It’s a holiday season that has gone awry for the National Games organising committee. The multi-discipline event stares at another postponement after the organisers failed to procure necessary equipment for at least half-a-dozen sports in time owing to the Christmas and New Year period.
The organisers fear that the equipment ordered for events such as wrestling, canoeing, gymnastics and boxing, among others, will reach India only after the Games begin on January 31 and are making a last-ditch effort to rent them either from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) or respective national federations.
To add to their woes, reports have surfaced that the hockey turf at the stadium in Kollam has been damaged by mice, though the claims have been rubbished by the organising committee members. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has called for a crisis-meeting on January 15 and 16 in Kerala and after taking a stock of the situation, they will decide whether the Games can take place as scheduled or not.
The Kerala government has spent more than Rs 600 crore, including Rs 450 crore on infrastructure, for the Games, which have been postponed repeatedly.
The hockey turf, which cost approximately Rs 3 crore, was lying unattended for more than five months at the New Hockey Stadium and the installation work began only on Wednesday. However, when the local hockey association members inspected the venue, they reportedly found a section of the turf damaged.
N Mohana Kumar, the chief engineer of the National Games who is responsible for setting up of the infrastructure and its maintenance, dismissed the claims. “The hockey turf is synthetic material, it cannot be damaged by rodents. The cylinder-shaped paper sheets which were used to cover the turf have been bitten by the rats, but the turf is 100 percent intact,” Kumar said.
There are, however, concerns over the usability of the surface. Hockey India president Narinder Batra said he had seen pictures where people were seen walking on the ground after the levelling was done, which can make the turf uneven. “Ideally, one shouldn’t be stepping on the turf after the levelling is done. It can get dangerous for the players. Moreover, there won’t be time to test the venue as the turf will be laid very close to the event,” he said.