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India Dallies Again - Lusophone Games in Goa Postponed


Sir Rols

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Portuguese Commonwealth games postponed

A combination of incomplete infrastructure and the likelihood of Lok Sabha polls sometime early next year has forced the organisers of the Portuguese Commonwealth games to reschedule the event for mid-January next year.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Associacao dos Comites Olimpicos de Lingua Oficial Portuguesa (ACOLOP), the organising committee for the Lusofonia Games at Macau late on Sunday.

"Various members of ACOLOP had proposed that the games be held much later next year. But taking into consideration that India would go to polls in early 2014, it was suggested that postponing the Games beyond January 2014 would not be advisable," the organisers said.

The ACOLOP comprises top sports officials from Goa as well as other members of Portuguese-speaking countries and the meeting at Macau was organized to fine tune the run up to the events before the Games begin.

The Lusofonia Games were scheduled to be held in Goa in November, but the new dates for the Games which have been finalized by ACOLOP are now January 18-29.

Officials who were present at the meeting said that incessant rains had resulted in the inability of the host state to build the "necessary infrastructure to international standards" due to which the Games were postponed.

The Lusofonia Games are a Portuguese equivalent of the British Commonwealth Games.

The participating countries include Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe. Equatorial Guinea, India and Sri Lanka are associate members of the Games.

Goa was one of the earliest Portuguese colonies in Asia.

dna

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It's not the only change this year:

1. Mediterranean Games moved from Volos-Larissa, Greece to Mersin, Turkey...

2. Those Islamic Solidarity Games...originally set for Riau, Indonesia...moved first to Jakarta; and then to Palembang.

3. The Miss World contest...moved from Jakarta to Bali.

Why has no Games or event opened this past Friday, September 13th?? :lol::lol:

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They aren't even able to host a couple of small competitions? Gosh, I'm going to be either dead or very old when India hosts the Olympics.

And it seems that the Olympics (or rather, the IOC) are the real root of the problem. If the "tainted" Indian Olympic Association picks a team for the Lusofonia Games before the issue of IOA members facing criminal charges is resolved, the IOC would not be at all happy to see that team competing under the Indian flag- and the home spectators would be equally unhappy to see that team competing under an "independent athletes" arrangement. The original IOC ban from last December delayed the South Asian Games.

By postponing the Lusofonia Games, a little extra time is bought for the Indian Olympic Association to adopt the procedure some of us regard as traditional- that holders of official appointments are expected to step aside from their duties when facing criminal charges.

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It's not the only change this year:

1. Mediterranean Games moved from Volos-Larissa, Greece to Mersin, Turkey...

2. Those Islamic Solidarity Games...originally set for Riau, Indonesia...moved first to Jakarta; and then to Palembang.

3. The Miss World contest...moved from Jakarta to Bali.

Why has no Games or event opened this past Friday, September 13th?? :lol::lol:

You forgot to add the 2013 Winter Universiade (originally going to be hosted by Maribor, Slovenia, then they resigned and the new host is Trentino, Italy)

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It's not the only change this year:

1. Mediterranean Games moved from Volos-Larissa, Greece to Mersin, Turkey...

2. Those Islamic Solidarity Games...originally set for Riau, Indonesia...moved first to Jakarta; and then to Palembang.

3. The Miss World contest...moved from Jakarta to Bali.

Why has no Games or event opened this past Friday, September 13th?? :lol::lol:

hooray!!! indonesia really does it!!! we really destroy it by moving it to other cities!!!

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International Olympic Committee makes an exception for Goa

PANAJI: Seated at his spacious office in the secretariat, Lusofonia Games CEO Keshav Chandrawas all at ease with himself.


For days leading to the ACOLOP general assembly in Macau early this week, Chandra was at most times tense, other times slightly apprehensive, as the tight deadlines for the Lusofonia Games 2013 were fast approaching.

Things have changed for good now since early this week as Goa has been granted an extension of 80 days to conduct the Games.

"We can all breathe a little easy now," Chandra told TOI on Thursday.

Apart from the extension, Goa's ease stems from the result of a long meeting ACOLOP or the Association of the Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committees had with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to discuss India's international ban.

"ACOLOP had a detailed discussion with IOC and based on that meeting, they told us (at the general assembly) that there should not be any hassles while hosting the Lusofonia Games in Goa. India will be allowed to hoistthe national flag and play the national anthem during ceremonies. It's such a big relief," said the CEO.

The assurance from ACOLOP president Alex Vong came at the general assembly in Macau on Sunday when countries like Angola and Sao Tome & Principe demanded to know the status of the ban, and its impact on the Lusofonia Games.

"Some member countries were apprehensive about participation since the ban had not been lifted. ACOLOP has assured and convinced all members that there is nothing to fear," he said.

India's wait to get back to the Olympic fold has been delayed after the IOC stuck to its stand on the chargesheet clause, clearly stating that the IOA has to adopt the clause in order to ensure good governance.

The ban on the IOA would have meant Indian athletes will have to compete under the IOC, ACOLOP or Independent Athletes banner at the Lusofonia Games, but the IOC, according to ACOLOP president Alex Vong, has made a special exception for Goa.

"The IOC believes that the Lusofonia Games is a good movement. The ban on India should not impact the Lusofonia brand," said Chandra.

ACOLOP -- which has IOA as its associate member -- is not yet an affiliate of IOC. Registration, according to those in the know, has already been sought and should get approval once the third edition of the Lusofonia Games concludes in Goa early next year.
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International Olympic Committee makes an exception for Goa

PANAJI: Seated at his spacious office in the secretariat, Lusofonia Games CEO Keshav Chandrawas all at ease with himself.


For days leading to the ACOLOP general assembly in Macau early this week, Chandra was at most times tense, other times slightly apprehensive, as the tight deadlines for the Lusofonia Games 2013 were fast approaching.

Things have changed for good now since early this week as Goa has been granted an extension of 80 days to conduct the Games.

"We can all breathe a little easy now," Chandra told TOI on Thursday.

Apart from the extension, Goa's ease stems from the result of a long meeting ACOLOP or the Association of the Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committees had with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to discuss India's international ban.

"ACOLOP had a detailed discussion with IOC and based on that meeting, they told us (at the general assembly) that there should not be any hassles while hosting the Lusofonia Games in Goa. India will be allowed to hoistthe national flag and play the national anthem during ceremonies. It's such a big relief," said the CEO.

The assurance from ACOLOP president Alex Vong came at the general assembly in Macau on Sunday when countries like Angola and Sao Tome & Principe demanded to know the status of the ban, and its impact on the Lusofonia Games.

"Some member countries were apprehensive about participation since the ban had not been lifted. ACOLOP has assured and convinced all members that there is nothing to fear," he said.

India's wait to get back to the Olympic fold has been delayed after the IOC stuck to its stand on the chargesheet clause, clearly stating that the IOA has to adopt the clause in order to ensure good governance.

The ban on the IOA would have meant Indian athletes will have to compete under the IOC, ACOLOP or Independent Athletes banner at the Lusofonia Games, but the IOC, according to ACOLOP president Alex Vong, has made a special exception for Goa.

"The IOC believes that the Lusofonia Games is a good movement. The ban on India should not impact the Lusofonia brand," said Chandra.

ACOLOP -- which has IOA as its associate member -- is not yet an affiliate of IOC. Registration, according to those in the know, has already been sought and should get approval once the third edition of the Lusofonia Games concludes in Goa early next year.
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