The 37th National Games in Goa will kick off on the badminton courts of the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium on Thursday with the team championships in both men’s and women’s categories.
In the men’s section, Group A consists of hosts Goa, Assam and Maharashtra while Uttarakhand, Delhi and formidable Karnataka are in Group B.
In the women’s section, Group A is expected to see a tough fight between title contenders Assam and Andhra Pradesh. West Bengal is the other team in the group. Hosts Goa are in Group B along with Maharashtra and Punjab.
The start of the badminton competition will be preceded by a small ceremony where Goa CM Pramod Sawant will be present along with State Sports Minister Govind Gaude besides other dignitaries. Moga, the mascot of the mega event will an added attraction at the ceremony.
“We are set to host the National Games in a very optimistic manner. Since the start our entire team has been working hard. This is team work. All the officers who are dedicated are coordinating the work,” Gaude said.
All the teams sweated it out during a last minute training session at the newly laid badminton courts of the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium at the Goa University campus on Wednesday.
Over 10,000 sportspersons are expected to participate in the 37th National Games. The mega will see 28 states and 8 union territories battle it out in a record 43 disciplines.