Lusofonia Games 2014: How India is preparing for the prestigious event

The much awaited 3rd edition of the Lusofonia games is all set to kick off on January 18th at Goa. The event might not be as big as the Olympics or the Commonwealth games but the event is clearly seen with high regard in the context of the international sporting calendar.

Lusofonia games

What are the Lusofonia Games?

The Lusofonia Games is a sporting event organized by the ACOLOP (Association of the Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committees) for the athletes from Portuguese speaking nations and nations which have historic ties with Portugal. This list includes the lights of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Equatorial Guinea, India and Sri Lanka.

After the first games in 2006 at Macau and second edition in 2009 in Lisbon, Goa got to be the lucky one to host the third edition, when the state edged out competition from Brazil and Sri Lanka. And thus the stage was set for almost 2000 athletes from 12 nations to fight it out in 9 disciplines – Athletics, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Football, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball and Wushu.

The facilities at the Games in Goa

Goa is making sure that this year’s games stand out from the previous two editions and they have already come up with the master plan of allowing spectators to watch the sporting spectacle without any entry fee.

“The idea behind opening the gates for public is to attract maximum crowd for all events. The government will not lose any revenue by keeping it non-ticketed,” remarked the Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is also in charge of the games.

Along with this the organisers are also committing an enormous fleet of 400 cars, SUVs and 100 buses for the purpose of transportation which will ensure that the participants and coaches get the best reception possible. Goa police has also planned to make a special security squad for the games to make sure that everyone is safe.

The curtain raiser will showcase a cultural extravaganza in the typical Goa style and promises to give the ideal kickoff. The volunteer count has been one other factor that has been raising everyone’s eyebrows as more than 3000 volunteers have already signed up for the event.

The ideas seems to be a well taken step as it would make the games more popular and the Commonwealth disgrace could be rectified as well with this, so in that respect, the Games hold paramount importance in the sporting future of the nation.

Jojo – The Mascot

The competitions at the Games

But the free entry won’t be the major attraction of the games; it will be the competition itself.

Athletics and Beach Volleyball are thought to be the major draws this time with Football and Basketball closely behind. The football section will be affected by the absence of Cape Verde who pulled out with budgetary concerns, and that of Portugal, who pulled out due to the fear of malaria outbreak at the games, but the presence of Brazil is expected to produce fireworks.

India is planning to send 78 athletes in the athletics section itself which is the highest number from the 12 nations. The medal hopes however lie heavily on the Taekwondo and Table tennis competitions.

P. Anand, who snatched the bronze in the last games, will be at it again this time in the Taekwondo under-80 kg category. Saravan Kumar also adds more expectations as he comes fresh off his success at the Asian Junior Championship in Indonesia where he clinched a bronze.

National games gold medalist Dextra Pereira carries the hopes in the women’s category.

Soumyajit Ghosh

Meanwhile, reigning National table tennis champion Soumyajit Ghosh, who was also the youngest Indian to qualify for the London Olympics, will lead the TT team.

Keeping a close eye on the football team would also be a good thing as the Goa Football association has roped in UEFA Pro License holder Neto as coach especially for the games. The team will also be led by Brandon Fernandes who has been in the headlines for earning trials with various clubs in United Kingdom.

Though the nation doesn’t have a good history in the sport, the current breed comes through equipped with better facilities and training, and could be the dark horses with the crowd behind them. And as the U-17 World Cup is all set to gaze in India, this could also serve as a curtain raiser on how the country could develop its young talent further.

The men’s and women’s volleyball teams have also been preparing well for the games which will hopefully pay off at the main event.

What the Lusofonia Games mean to Indian sport

There is a lot of bad blood in Indian sport that needs to be washed away. In that context, the Lusofonia Games may well end up being a matter of pride and prestige for the country. Things look bright for the nation both on the field and off it as we edge closer to its opening.

When the curtains finally roll down in Goa, let’s just hope that the national anthem plays many times in the span of 10 days. And most importantly let’s hope that the visitors go back home saying that “India did a good job organizing the games”.