New Delhi, India, May 16, 2023: The traditional martial art Gatka is poised to get a significant boost nationwide as the Indian Olympic Association has officially included the sport in the 37th National Games 2023 to be held in Goa in October this year.
During this showpiece, the IOA in collaboration with the State Government of Goa will organise competitions for a total of 43 disciplines, making the 37th National Games the biggest ever.
In a statement on Monday, May 15, Harjeet Singh Grewal, the President of the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI) expressed his gratitude to the IOA President and Rajya Sabha member PT Usha for including the martial art Gatka for the first time in the National Games.
“We have long yearned for due recognition of this sport by the IOA. Recently, a high-level meeting was held with IOA and the Games Technical Committee members in New Delhi to acknowledge this sport and include it in the National Games,” Grewal noted.
Grewal informed that the NGAI has been promoting the sport through Gatka associations in 22 states, and was confident that inclusion at the National Games would be a significant step in the overall development of the sport countrywide.