By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 7 Jan: Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd) stated today that hosting the National Games for the first time in Uttarakhand is a proud moment for all the residents of the state. He mentioned that the active participation and cooperation of the people will make the event even more successful and grand. The Governor emphasised that every citizen of the state should be involved, both directly and indirectly, and the entire state should be filled with a sporting atmosphere during the event. He added that this event would not only provide an opportunity to showcase the state’s sporting talent but would also serve as a platform to display the state’s culture and products. The Governor suggested promoting local products and involving self-help groups in the event.
At a meeting held today at Raj Bhawan, here, the Governor reviewed the preparations for the 38th National Games, which will be held from 28 January to 14 February. Senior officials from the state government and the sports department attended the meeting.
Special Secretary, Sports, Amit Sinha gave a detailed update on the preparations, assuring that they are in the final stages and will be completed on schedule.
Lt Gen Singh mentioned that this event provides an opportunity to give the state’s athletes national recognition. He instructed the officials to work with full dedication, commitment and teamwork to ensure that the event is both historic and memorable. The Governor suggested including school and college students in the event, so they too can benefit. He also instructed the ITDA to create a dashboard for event-related information.
The Governor emphasised the importance of ensuring well-organised arrangements for athletes’ accommodations, food, transport, and access to event venues. He also highlighted the need for proper medical facilities at the event sites and improved management and planning, along with the preparation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). He called for the inclusion of every section of society in the event in some or the other capacity.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary L Fanei, Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, DIG Janmajay Khanduri, Additional Secretary Swati S Bhadoria, Director General, Information, Banshidhar Tiwari, Additional Secretaries Manu Goel and Nitika Khandelwal, Director, Sports, Prashant Arya, and officials from departments like Tourism, Drinking Water, PWD, Health, Transport, and others.
