If we aim the ultimate, the ‘National games Championship’ there are only two ways one can practically think of. First one is the state itself hosting the games and the second is to include ‘Kalari” (the typical Kerala Martial Arts form) as an event and also assign 30-50 medals for the 18 techniques, hits, blocks, all types of armed performances and so on.
Don’t laugh, if you call it silly then what will you say about the logic behind providing a incredible ‘111’ medals, including 32 Gold, 32 Silver, and 47 Bronze for ‘Vashon’ – a Chinese Martial Arts form?
‘Vashon’ is bit popular is only in the North Eastern part of the nation which helped the Manipur and Assam to get ahead of Kerala. When Manipur bagged 27 medals including 14 Gold, Assam easily picked up 12 medals including 5 Gold from the event. Another North Eastern exclusive event was the ‘Thaikondu’ in which 60 medals including 14 gold were given off in different category majority of which was obviously picked up by Manipur and Assam.
Though ‘Vushu’ is an Asian Games event, the total medals given away in this event is just 38 including 11 Gold and 11 Silver. But when this Chinese event got into the Indian National games, the number of medals doubled.
The only reason that I can think of as to why they gave a foreign event such undue importance is simple; to please the hosting state. That means states like Kerala who concentrate on traditional events aiming the ultimate ‘Olympics’ will have to train new ‘Thaikondu’ & ’Vushu’ experts or as mentioned earlier include ‘Kalari’ or such specialized events of the state if it dreams the ‘National Games Championship’.
