Nagaon, Sept. 26: As Assam intensified campaigning for hosting the 2004-05 National Games, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) technical chairman C.M. Muthaiya inspected the Nurul Amin Stadium here to take stock of the facilities.

Accompanied by Assam Olympic Association (AOA) office-bearers, Muthaiya went round the stadium to get a first-hand knowledge of the existing facilities. He also visited the proposed Astroturf hockey ground site, work on which is yet to take off due to a funds crunch.

Sources said that Muthaiya stressed the need to set up a proper sports hostel. Last month, the Assam Hockey Association (AHA) issued an appeal to the state’s MPs seeking their help in getting the Nagaon Astroturf project, hanging fire since 2000, off the ground.

Besides the Astroturf, the first of its kind in Assam and the second in the Northeast after Manipur, the project envisages a 50-bed hostel and a 8,000-capacity gallery at Nagaon’s Nurul Amin Stadium in the first phase. The infrastructure is expected to strengthen Assam’s bid.

The AHA, established in 1952, has contacted a firm from Belgium, which has set up the Astroturf in Jammu and Kashmir, to execute the project.

The second phase of the project will include a state-of-the-art gym and air-conditioned accommodation for the visiting teams.

Assam is in the running for the Games along with Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. The Games are estimated to cost between Rs 250 to Rs 300 crore.

The state government is keen on securing the Games because it will give a fillip to development of both sports and infrastructure in an otherwise stagnant economy.

Armed with a Cabinet decision taken in October last year, Gogoi made a formal bid for the 2004-5 National Games at the general body meeting of the IOA held at the India Habitat Centre on November 18, a day before the Punjab National Games got under way. Hyderabad is hosting the Games this year.

The AOA, set up in 1970, expressed the desire to hold the Games in an application to IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh on August 27.

The AOA has also identified over 1,000 bighas of land near Rani in Kamrup district for the proposed Games village.

Assam’s bid received a big boost recently with IOA making the AOA the nodal office for its activities in the Northeast.

The state also made a very strong case to host the 2005 National Games with the successful hosting of the Olympic Day Run in Guwahati last month.

IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi, impressed by the run, had pointed out that “there is a lot of potential in the Northeast. We will try to our best to allot the National Games to Assam”.

Kick-boxing

Manipur kick-boxing players bagged 12 gold medals, 8 silver medals and 10 bronze medals and overall team champion trophy in the recently-concluded 9th national senior, junior and sub-junior men and women's kick-boxing championship, 2002, organised by IAKO at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, Calcutta, reports our Imphal correspondent.

medal winners

Gold: L. Hector, Md. Mudashir, A. Bitu, L. Bijoykumar, Th. Rocky, W. Ratan, A. Hemchandra, N. Biju, L. Ajitkumar, S. Sananta, W. Abemcha and L. Sunanda.

Silver: Ksh. Bikramjit, Md. Mazir Khan, Md. Auir Khan, Md. Radi Wafur, Th. Jim, Th. Romajit, Ph. Sony Chanu and L. Charlish.

Bronze: Ksh. Ramananda, N.G. Meghajit, Md. Jallaruddin, Md Sajidur Rahman, N Angel, L Bedic, S Premabati, W Chabem, Ksh Promila and Ratan.