Goa to host 37th National Games in October 2023: IOA
New Delhi (PTI): Goa will host the 37th edition of the National Games in October next year, the Indian Olympic Association confirmed on Saturday.
The Goa state government has conveyed to the IOA its in-principle approval to host the next edition of the National Games.
In a letter to Ajit Roy, Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs, Goa, IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta wrote: "IOA is pleased to note the wholehearted support of the Government of Goa to host the 37th National Games in Goa in 2023, hence conveying IOA's approval to organise the 37th National Games in Goa.
"The Goa delegation may receive the IOA flag in the Closing Ceremony of the 36th National Games on 12th October 2022 in Surat, Gujarat."
The IOA, however, said the dates for the event will be decided later.
"The date of the 37th National Games will be decided to keep in view of the dates of the 19th Asian Games, which will be held from 23rd September to 8th October 2022 in Hangzhou, China."
Goa got the rights to host the National Games in 2008, but due to different reasons, the state has failed to host them, forcing the IOA to shift the 36th edition to Gujarat, which agreed to conduct the event in a short span of time.
The last National Games were held in Kerala in 2015 and Goa was to host the 36th edition in November 2016.
After two delays in 2018 and 2019 due to the coastal state's inability to create adequate infrastructure, the Games were further postponed to 2020.
But the COVID-19 pandemic then forced the postponement of the National Games again and the Goa government expressed its inability to host the event before December this year.
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
