Gandhinagar, Jul 8 (IANS): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has announced that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has agreed to host the 36th National Games in the state. This will be the first time the state will host the prestigious games, scheduled to take place between September 27 and October 10, 2022.

Minister of State for Sports, Harsh Sanghvi welcomed the decision and said, "Gujarat is known for setting records and benchmarks. With the 36th National Games, Gujarat will set yet another record to host the event within the limited time of three months, with more than 34 sports disciplines in six cities across the state."

The 36th National Games were to be organised in Goa in May 2020, But they were postponed indefinitely due to the spread of Covid-19.

Principal secretary, sports, Ashwini Kumar said in a press statement, "The various sporting events will be spread across the state covering six cities of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar. This will ensure a larger community movement through means of sports."

Aligned with the Olympic movement, Gujarat will enhance and optimally utilise its existing infrastructure to organise these games. This way, the infrastructure created and enhanced will continue to be utilised by the state's sportspersons on a regular basis.

Secretary-general, IOA, Rajeev Mehta expressed his happiness with Gujarat's readiness to organise the National Games. He mentioned that the infrastructure in the state was assessed in consultation with the IOA and National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the details of the sports were finalised accordingly. He appreciated the proactive approach of the state government to host the Games.