SM Bali (left), chairman of Games technical committee, at the meeting in Hotwar on Wednesday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Sept. 15: The state’s lack of preparedness to host the 34th National Games this December — after five postponements — strongly resurfaced at a technical committee meeting attended by representatives of various national sports federations in Hotwar today.

Finalising Ranchi Club as the venue for fencing, karate and judo matches, Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) chairman S.M. Bali also voiced his satisfaction over infrastructure at other stadiums.

Asked later whether the sporting extravaganza would be held from December 9 as scheduled, he said: “Give me goods (equipment et al) now and we will hold the Games within three hours.”

National sports federation representatives, however, remained sceptical.

Sekhar Bose, who attended the meeting on behalf of the national volleyball federation, said that the event, as well as basketball, could not be held at the designated indoor stadium without terraflex flooring. The surface needs to be imported that may take three months. A tender to import terraflex is yet to be floated while the Games is scheduled between December 9 and 22.

Rugby representative N.R. Chandeswar, who inspected Birsa Stadium at Morabadi, found the surface unsuitable. He insisted on removal of pebbles and improving the quality and density of the grass.

Similarly, national kabaddi and kho-kho officials suggested better light, covered courts to prevent disruptions due to rain, and seating arrangements for VIP audience.

While the kho-kho court was found to be 2 metres short of the required length of 27 metres, lawn tennis official Colonel Ambir Singh pointed out space crunch on the sidelines and suggested a metre increase along the periphery to help players manoeuvre shots.

Preparations for boxing events were also not up to the mark. Experts said the equipment had been purchased a couple of years ago and rules of the game had changed since. Today, boxing gloves need to be of the same colour and, hence, new gloves have to be purchased or the existing ones spray-painted. But he described it as a minor problem that could be rectified.

In consolation, National Games Organising Committee secretary S.M. Hashmi, also co-chairman of GTCC, said the technical team was impressed with infrastructure for canoeing and kayaking events at Maithon, Dhanbad.

He added that a meeting of competition directors, who are required to check fitness of equipment, would be held in the last week of October after the Commonwealth Games.