Goa Lusofonia Games postponed to Jan 2014

The third Lusofonia Games, slated to be held in Goa in November, have been postponed to January due to the slow progress of infrastructure work.

The Games of 'Lusophone' (Portuguese-speaking countries) will now be held from January 18 to 29, 2014.

The decision was taken following a general body meeting of Association of the Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committees in Macau on Sunday.

During the meeting, a three-member team from Goa, led by Secretary (Sports) and Lusofonia Games chief executive officer Keshav Chandra, said the Goa government needed more time to complete infrastructural works.

Construction work was delayed due to the monsoon, and another two months are needed, Chandra said.

Earlier, the Games were to be held between November 2 to 10. ACOLOP agreed to postpone the Games, and suggested that they should get over in January in view of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the following month.

India(Goa), Portugal, Macau, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, East Timor, Sao Tome, Sri Lanka, Guinea Bisssau, Principe and Equatorial Gini are the 12 countries that will participate in the Games.

The ACOLOP meeting also allowed the hoisting of the tri-colour and the national anthem during the Games in Goa, as it hopes that the ongoing dispute between the International Olympic Committee and the Indian Olympic Association will be resolved by December.

The work, such as construction of indoor stadium at Taleigao, athletics stadium at Bambolim, indoor stadium at Peddem, Mapusa, and the Tilak stadium, is delayed because of heavy rains.

The Goa government had earlier assured ACOLOP that all the work would be completed by the first week of October.

Chandra also said the ACOLOP delegation which visited Goa in April has proposed holding the customary general assembly in the first week of December before the Games.

Simultaneously, the meeting of Chef de missions of participating nations could also be held.