For the State of Telangana, the 35th National Games that kicks off in Kerala in under four days, will mark its entry into competitive sports at the national level.
This has been conveyed to the National Games Organising Committee by Rajiv Mehta, Secretary-General, Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
The 35th edition of the country’s largest multi-disciplinary sports event will be held from January 31 to February 14 across seven districts in the southern state.
‘PARAMOUNT CONCERN’
In his communication, Mehta said the IOA has been considering representations from both the residual and new-born States following the bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.
The interest and concern of sportspersons was ‘paramount to the IOA’. According to him, “all qualifying teams from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana should take part separately in the National Games.”
In this regard, IOA will constitute committees to handle the participation and entry of teams from these two States.
With Telangana also in the fray, the official entries for the Games will spread out to 30 States and five Union Territories (Andaman and Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Chandigarh, and Daman and Diu). This apart, the services (SSCB) will also participate in the Games.
GAMES RULES
Eligibility norms stipulate that the respective State Olympic associations will sponsor the State or Union Territory team or individual participants in the National Games.
The State teams will be selected by the State sports associations of the respective disciplines affiliated to the state Olympic association and to the corresponding national sports federations concerned, which, in turn, must be affiliated to IOA.
To be eligible to participate in the National Games, a competitor must observe and abide by the National Games rules of the IOA and in addition, the rules of the national federation of the sports he/ she represents.
ELIGIBILITY NORMS
A sportsperson can represent either the State to which he/ she belongs by birth or the State in which he/ she is working or residing in for at least six months immediately preceding the opening ceremony day of the National Games. Participating in the games without meeting either of the above two criteria shall disqualify him/ her.
In case a sportsperson employed in a State other than his/ her State of birth chooses to represent the State of birth, he/ she should inform the State association where he/ she is working about his/her option at least two months before the National Games, failing which he/ she will not be allowed to represent his/ her State of birth.
Eligibility of teams makes it clear that the best seven teams in the national championships of the respective sports held before November 20, 2014, are eligible to participate in the 35th National Games as a team.
BEST OF SEVEN
The eighth team entry shall be Kerala, being the host State.
If there is any departmental team except SSCB within the eighth position, that departmental team shall not be included and the next best State team shall be given the preference for being considered for qualification.
In case Kerala is in the first eight of the national championship, all the eight teams are eligible to participate in the National Games.
The respective national sports federations shall identify the State teams/ participants qualified/ eligible to participate.