By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 23 Dec: The registration system for five sports under the 38th National Games to be hosted by Uttarakhand next month has been finalised. The Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) has set the last date for entries by state sports associations. They must complete their entries in three phases from 3 to 13 January 2025. The sports included in this registration system are handball, beach handball, taekwondo, volleyball, and beach volleyball.
GTCC Chairperson Sunaina Kumari has communicated this decision to the President, Secretary, and Treasurers of the NSF, SOA, UTOA, and SSCB. According to Uttarakhand Olympic Association General Secretary Dr DK Singh, there was a need to build consensus at the national level regarding these sports, which has now been achieved.
As per the registration system finalised and announced today, National Sports Federations (NSFs) will provide the names of eligible athletes to their respective State Sports Associations according to the sport’s guidelines. The NSFs will share the sports list with the State Sports Associations.
The top seven teams from the 37th National Games held in Goa in 2023 for handball and beach handball will be invited to participate in the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand.
Taekwondo athlete selection will be held in Dehradun under a selection committee appointed by the IOC/GTCC. These selections are open to all Taekwondo athletes. The top athletes (men and women) in each weight category will represent their states in individual events. For team events, the top eight teams (men and women) with three athletes each will be eligible. The selection committee will also announce the top eight pairs for the mixed pair event. These trials would follow standardised and transparent procedures to ensure proper representation, it was claimed.
For volleyball and beach volleyball, state teams (except Gujarat) that participated in the 36th National Games held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat in 2022 will be eligible to compete in the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand. State Olympic Associations and State Volleyball Associations will oversee team trials, maintaining fairness and transparency. The state government has claimed to be closely monitoring preparations for the 38th National Games. Preparations are advancing rapidly, with the National Sports Secretariat working diligently.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has stated that preparations are progressing in a phased manner, and that the state government is committed to organising the National Games in Uttarakhand in a grand manner for the first time.
