Guwahati ready for the National Games

Guwahati -- The 33rd National Games are set to start here Friday, after separatist group United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) lifted its boycott call, paving the way for 6,999 athletes to display their talent.

The Feb 9-18 games - being held after four years - have been plagued by doubts after ULFA called upon the people of Assam to boycott the extravaganza. But appeals by some prominent Assamese sportspersons prompted the separatist group to shun its boycott call.

A total of 6,999 athletes from 31 states have confirmed participation after Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi assured them that there would be tight security for them.

But the absence of some big stars has stripped the games much of the shine. Some of the top shooters of the country like Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Jaspal Rana, Manavjit Singh, Gagan Narang have decided to give the games a miss. They say this way they can concentrate on the major tournaments like World Cup and World Championships.

Athlete Anju Bobby George and weightlifter Kunjarani Devi will also be absent.

With only two days left for the big event, the organisers are busy giving final touches to the 16 newly built stadiums in and around Guwahati, at a cost of Rs.3.52 billion.

"Our infrastructure is the best in the country and it is also of international standard," said Gogoi. "It is a big honour for the people of Assam and they have showed that they can do the best."

Five sports out of the total 32 would be played for the first time at the games. They are triathlon, lawn bowls, karate, wushu and rugby 7s.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will open the games at a gala opening ceremony at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium, located in the Sarsujai Sports Complex, while the closing ceremony Feb 18 at the same venue will be presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The games were originally scheduled for November 2005, but following delay in the completion of infrastructure they dates were postponed and were set for Feb 9-18.

Then came the ULFA threat. But ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa decided to abandon the call for boycott after appeals by some well-known athletes in newspaper advertisements here.

The signatories to the appeal were Arjuna awardee and Asian Games gold medallist Bhogeswar Baruah, veteran athlete Tayabun Neesa, former national table tennis champion Monalisa Baruah Mehta and a number of prominent athletes from the state.

"In response to an appeal made by some leading sportspersons appealing us to reconsider our decision, we have decided to lift the boycott call of the National Games," Rajkhowa said Monday.

ULFA's recent terror attacks against the Hindi-speaking people have claimed the lives of more than 90 people in this northeastern state.

But now that it has lifted the call it will give the organisers a huge relief to hold the games in a friendly atmosphere. ULFA had earlier said that it would not allow the event to be held until it was not renamed as Assam Sports Festival.