Maha Olympic Games begin in Pune
The Games are being organised after 22 years by the Maharashtra government in collaboration with the Maharashtra Olympic Association (MOA), and Pune will host as many as 24 out of the 39 disciplines
The stage is set for the city to host the Maharashtra Olympic Games from Monday, January 2, 2023 at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi. The Games are being organised after 22 years by the Maharashtra government in collaboration with the Maharashtra Olympic Association (MOA), and Pune will host as many as 24 out of the 39 disciplines. The remaining 15 events will be hosted by eight other cities including Baramati, Nashik, Nagpur, Jalgaon, Aurangabad, Amravati, Mumbai and Sangli. Around 8,000 athletes are expected to participate in the Games.
During the press conference at Council Hall on Sunday, Saurav Rao, divisional commissioner, Pune, said, “Pune is our country’s sports capital. That is why we are organising such a beautiful sports festival here. All the talented players from our state will get a great platform to showcase their excellence.”
Dr Suhas Diwse, state sports commissioner, said, “Maharashtra finishes first or second at the national level every year. But our athletes possess the talent to win medals at the Olympic level and the Games will be an ideal platform to identify and nurture talent. We hope to create a database of over 16,000 athletes, right from the school level, to promote talent at the grassroots.”
“The state government had allocated Rs19 crore for the Games when they were supposed to take place two years back. However, they could not be held due to the pandemic and now, the government is considering releasing more funds. In addition, sponsors such as the Bank of Maharashtra, Tata Group and HDFC Bank etc. have also been roped in,” said Diwse.
Namdev Shirgaonkar, secretary, MOA, said, “The MOA is excited that the Games are finally taking place. They will be the perfect platform for talented players to rise to the top.”
On Monday, competitions will begin in wrestling (Pune), softball (Jalgaon), badminton (Nagpur) and Yogasana (Nashik). The official opening ceremony of the Games will be held in Pune on January 5 with chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, state sports and youth welfare minister Girish Mahajan, and Pune guardian minister Chandrakant Patil gracing the occasion. The state government will be providing lodging and boarding to all participants including players, coaches and other officials. In a first for an event like this, the participants have also been insured.