‘Ashwamedh’ dates clash with Assembly session

With MLA Hostel ‘out of reach’ due to Assembly Winter Session in December, RTMNU is searching other venues for lodging and boarding for women athletes

By Paritosh Pramanik

RASHTRASANT Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University will be hosting Ashwamedh 2023 in December (3-7) which will clash with the Winter Session of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Dec 7). 

It will be a huge logistic problem for RTMNU as over 2500 women athletes and officials will be arriving in the city for the State Inter-University Krida Mahotsav, formerly known as Ashwamedh.

RTMNU, which is celebrating its centenary year, will host nine women’s event including athletics, basketball, kho-kho, kabaddi, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, football and chess. 

The biggest difficulty for RTMNU will be of providing accommodation to the players and officials. With the non-availability of MLA Hostel which will be occupied by the MLAs and other leaders of the State, RTMNU has started its search for other venues.

According to Dr Sharad Suryawanshi, Director, Department of Sports and Physical Education, they are trying every options available. “We are exploring every possible options. There are many hostels of school and colleges. We have our own (RTMNUs) hostel. We can also accommodate athletes at Koradi’s Bhakt Nivas. I am confident that there won’t be any problem in providing lodging and boarding facilities to the athletes,” Dr Syuryawanshi confidently said.

“We will be doing a recce in a few days and visit Koradi Bhakt Nivas and IDCPE apart from other venues. I am sure we will manage to provide the best facilities to the athletes,” added Dr Suryawanshi.

The University will also be renovating Subhedar Hall which will host the badminton event. “The venue will be refurbished for badminton event. We will be using RTMNU’s Dikshant Subhagruh for chess events while the PGTD Hall will be used for table tennis events. We will also be adding a few more tables for the event,” revealed Dr Suryawanshi.

“We are also plannnig a Games torch relay which will begin a week before the games and will cross through districts of which colleges are affiliated with RTMNU,” Dr Surywasnshi stated.