Poor infrastructure progress may get Lusofonia Games postponed

PANAJI: With most of the infrastructure work still pending completion, the third Lusofonia Games, scheduled here from November 2-11, are likely to be postponed to February next year, official sources from the Lusofonia Games Organising Committee (LUGOC) said today.
The meeting of the Chefs-de-Mission, which was scheduled to be held in Goa next week in this view, has been called off.

Instead a four-member LUGOC, headed by CEO Keshav Chandra, Goa Olympic Association (GOA) President Shripad Naik, GOA General Secretary Gurudatta Bhakta and Sports Authority of Goa Executive Director Sandeep Jacques, will fly to Macau to attend the extraordinary general body meeting of Association of Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committee ( ACOLOP) on September 22 to decide on Games' fate.

The LUGOC will now present its case before the ACOLOP general body on the status of its preparedness which at present is far from being complete. Major venues like Fatorda, Bombolim and Peddem are still lagging behind.

Bhakta has hinted that with the present state of infrastructure, it is obvious that the Games will be postponed, but a clear picture will emerge only after the crucial meeting in Macau.

Bhakta said the LUGOC will present its report on various matters of concern including the infrastructure. The issue of Indian Olympic Association ( IOA) ban by International Olympic Committee ( IOC) will be the prime topic of discussion.