IOA wants top athletes to show up at National Games as government looks to turn it into sporting spectacle

Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat all set to host the 36th edition of the National Games in September-October, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that the country's top athletes - including the Olympic and CWG medallists - participate at the multi-discipline event. TOI has learnt that the government is planning a grand festival of Indian sports at the Games, scheduled to be held in six cities of Gujarat from September 27 to October 10.

The govt wants to showcase to the world its prowess at hosting big-ticket sporting events, with an eye on bidding for the 2030 Youth Olympics and 2036 Olympic Games in the future. The Games, last held in Kerala in 2015, will take place in cities of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar, with a total of 36 sports disciplines on display.

More than 7,000 athletes from all 28 states and eight Union Territories are expected to participate. This will be the first time the Games will be held in Gujarat, ahead of the state assembly elections in December.

The dates of the Games have been planned in such a way that no major international sports competition clashes with its conduct, allowing the leading Indian athletes to either represent their Services board or states/UTs, or grace the occasion as guests. The message from the IOA to its state Olympic associations (SOAs) and member national sports federations (NSFs) is clear - ensure top athletes compete at the Games to boost the event's profile in view of the government's unprecedented interest.