Ranchi, May 21: Delay in procurement of equipment for the 34th National Games does not worry games officials. Reason: they are “importing” medal winners, too.
State athletes would get little time to work on the equipment but the medals could be ensured as “imported” athletes, who have used these facilities before, would play for the state.
Tenders for the technical bid for procurement of sports equipment or goods will be opened on May 30. And if all the steps are completed in time, final orders would be placed by June-end, and by September the equipment would arrive, said S.M. Hashmi, the secretary general of Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA), also secretary-I of the National Games Organising Committee (NGOC).
Hashmi added: “Once we get the equipment in September we shall train our athletes through successive camps in November and December.” But coaches and sports officials do not agree with him. They feel state athletes would suffer because the “technique” of handling imported equipment is different. “Take pole vault for instance. State players practise with poles made of cane and aluminium. But imported poles are made of fibre and are weight specific. Adjusting to them would require some months,” said a senior coach.
Similarly, imported javelins are more aerodynamic and are distance specific. And in weight lifting, too, imported bars are different than the local ones. “Though the weight remains the same, the grip and adjustment takes time,” a veteran weightlifter said.
The state does not have any infrastructure for canoeing, kayaking, rowing, equestrian, fencing, shooting, gymnastics, and squash.
Coaching camps for these games are being held outside the state.
A senior coach put things into perspective. “The preparations for the Games indicate that senior sports officials are depending on borrowed sportspersons for medals. For swimming, they have already roped in Richa Mishra. Teams for equestrian, canoeing, kayaking, rowing, gymnastics, squash will have outside players, too. Hence, even if equipment does not arrive on time it does not matter because medal winners would be from outside the state,” he said.
Some officials are certain that even for men’s hockey the state will depend on “imports”. Perhaps, the women’s hockey team alone would consist of indigenous talent. On the equipment issue, the Jharkhand Athletic Association president Madhu Kant Pathak, said: “Our medal prospects are already familiar with the new equipment as they have participated in several meets.”
