Officials cover their heads as the skies over the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium in the city open up on Wednesday, the sixth day of the National Games. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Feb. 14: The weather gods may have spared Assam the ignominy of a washout on Day One of the National Games, but rain returned today to drench the showpiece event and controversy followed.

Most outdoor competitions were disrupted just when it seemed that the Games would enter the last lap without any of the major hitches that had been expected. There was controversy, too, with Assam accusing the winner of the 20-km walk for men of not completing the final lap. A formal complaint was lodged with the jury.

“Barring one judge, the rest of the jury feels there is merit in our allegation,” Assam Athletics Association president Pradip Buragohain said.

Somendro Singh of Services had been declared the gold medallist in the 20-km walk, though he allegedly completed only 49 laps on the 400-metre track. Oinam Sushil Kumar Singh of Assam came second. A three-member team reviewed a taped version of the live telecast by Doordarshan and a decision is expected soon, tournament officials said.

The events disrupted by rain include tennis, athletics, swimming, kho-kho and boxing. Rajib Prakash Baruah, competition director for kho-kho, said the disrupted matches would be held tomorrow. If the weather does not improve, the competition could be shifted to the indoor stadium.

The final of the team competition in women’s tennis between West Bengal and Delhi did not even start and the one between the Delhi and Tamil Nadu men’s teams was suspended midway. Both finals were rescheduled for tomorrow.

“There was a glimmer of hope when the clouds seemed to go away. But just as we were preparing to resume, the rain was back and we had to abandon play for today at 4 pm,” tournament director Raktim Saikia said.

The players and officials were not the only ones to be disappointed. Spectators who had trooped into the arena hoping to see some good tennis returned in haste when the skies opened up.

When rain interrupted the action, Delhi was in the lead with Davdeep Singh defeating V.M. Ranjith of Tamil Nadu in straight sets in the first individual match.

Saikia said the tournament committee had made arrangements to play under floodlights, if necessary, but incessant rain put paid to the plan. “Weather permitting, the men’s team final will resume at 9 am tomorrow,” he added.

However, the Met office’s forecast for tomorrow is not encouraging. D. Chakrabarti, deputy director-general of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Borjhar, said there could be a thunderstorm in the morning. “There is a low-pressure area over Jharkhand, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, which has resulted in moisture accumulating over the Bay of Bengal and added to the threat from the persisting western disturbance.”

The only bright spot in the forecast was that the skies would clear up by noon. “The hailstorms that are likely to occur at some places over Assam might not hit Guwahati,” Chakrabarti said.