Kohima, July 1: Lack of co-ordination between the Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA) and the state youth affairs and sports department has jeopardised the preparations of the Naga contingent for the 2005 National Games in Guwahati.

Sports officials of the state admitted that the wide gap between the NOA and the government department has hit the players’ training schedule, which has not begun till date. The NOA announced last month that the coaching camps would start soon.

The NOA, which got its affiliation to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) last year after a long struggle and concerted efforts from the state government, including chief minister Neiphiu Rio and several sports organisers, is responsible for preparing sportspersons for the Games, a senior sports department official said.

The players from Nagaland had to beg for berths in contingents of other states to take part in national-level meets before the NOA was affiliated to the IOA. The Naga players will have a legitimate banner this time around to participate in the Games. However, their participation in the Games could only be a formality because the NOA has not even started their training sessions. “The qualifiers (for the Games) are still to be held,” director of sports Vimeho said.

Apart from inadequate training, the players will have to cross several hurdles like poor infrastructure, lack of professionalism and the alleged bad management by the sports department.

Chief minister Rio, a former shuttler and self-confessed sports buff, has been reportedly putting pressure on the sports department to initiate steps for overall development of sportspersons.

“We must think hard, like our neighbours Manipur, to make sports a way of life,” Rio said at a seminar on youth empowerment recently.

Sources in Rio’s office said the chief minister was unhappy with the state’s coaches and they might be replaced with professionals from across the country on contract basis.