Sporting carnival in National Games

Guwahati, Feb 13 (UNI) It is not just the biggest multi-disciplinary sporting event in the country, it is a sporting carnival in the 33rd National Games here.

If the players sweat it out against each other on field during the day, they 'freak out' together at night in the Games Village.

The convention centre in the Village is perhaps the most happening place in the Village, with the open air stage hosting evening musical functions giving it a close contest.

Mayor of the Village A Bhuttani said, ''People stay up in the convention centre till 0200 hours in the night. They simply freak out here.'' Equipped with television sets with cable connection, internet and telephone facilities, the convention centre bustles with activity every hour of the day.

Rajasthan table tennis players Neha, Shilpi and Amit, enjoying a television show there, said, ''The atmosphere is quiet nice here, we hang around here most of the time.'' The evenings see the players and officials flock to the make-shift stage built near the entrance of the Village.

Mr Bhuttani said, ''The open air performances draw a good crowd.

We have requests for more functions.'' The exuberant mood in the Village could be gauged in the voices of Kanchan, Neelam, Deepa and Sandeep, representing Delhi in Sepak Takraw.

Having participated in the Hyderabad National Games also, the four were all praises for the facilities here.

Kanchan said, ''The facilities, accommodation, food, transport, communication, all are extremely good. We are having a good time here.'' ''We can even say that the facilities hare are better than the one's in Hyderabad, though the earlier Games were also good,'' Neelam added.

Athletes from Bihar--Sarowar, Shanawaz and Baba also had words of praises for the organizers.

Conceding that recent ULFA violence against Hindi-speaking people had put them on guard a bit initially, they had only praise for the warmth they have received here.

Sarowar said, ''We were apprehensive a bit, but the people here are so welcoming that all our fears have been wiped clean.'' If the players were happy with the arrangements, so was a National Games veteran and chef-de-mission of Haryana Bhagdu H S.

Associated with the Games since 1971, he said, ''This is among the best arranged Games by far. All things are in place and the organizers are very open to suggestions for improvement.'' ''There are bound to be a few disappointments or problems in an event of this scale, we have to overlook those,'' he added.

UNI