Guwahati, Feb. 17: Leading architectural firm, Stup Consultants, associated with several sporting venues in India and abroad, has made its presentation to the sports administrators of Assam regarding designs of the facilities to be built for the 2005 National Games.

Four representatives of the leading global firm today briefed sports minister Robin Bordoloi, sports commissioner M.K Barooah, Assam Olympic Association secretary Mukut Medhi, SAI official Subhas Basumatary and director of sports N.N. Borkatoky on the layout of sporting facilities.

Stup Consultants, originally a French company, had designed infrastructure for the Montreal Olympics, the Hyderabad National Games and certain venues of the 2004 Athens Olympics. It has designed over 14 sporting venues in India.

“Stup Consultants made a presentation today about its profile and designs. Three more firms had made their presentations. It is good sign. We will be able to explore more designs. However, a decision on allotment of the contract will be taken only through an open tender,” Bordoloi said after the two-and-a-half-hour briefing.

The sports minister said the February 26 executive meeting of the state Olympic Association might encourage a lot of decisions in connection with the National Games that Assam will host for the first time.

“We will present the details of the progress made so far vis-à-vis preparation for the Games. Steps to speed-up the preparation process would also be discussed among the members,” Bordoloi, who is also a vice-president of the association, said.

The main venue of the 33rd National Games would be in Sonapur, on the outskirts of the Assam capital. However, a section of the state’s Olympic association is believed to be rooting for Rani as the venue.

Sonapur enjoys an edge over the others because of its natural setting and cost-effective location, Bordoloi said.

“We have found after extensive survey that the other areas near the city are lowlands, which are not suitable for construction of big sporting facilities. Filling up these lowlands with soil and stones will entail extra expenditure and eat up valuable time — both of which we cannot afford. These issues would be discussed at the executive meeting to be chaired by the chief minister,” he said. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi heads the Assam Olympic Association.

The association’s secretary, Mukut Medhi, said Stup Consultants is designing certain venues for the Athens Olympics.

“It was quite impressive. They were very well-prepared. We asked them to make a presentation before the entire executive of the association. However, the design will be very ethnic, no matter who bags the contract to construct the Games venues and other facilities,” he said.