India, Jan. 28 -- A festive atmosphere enveloped the Maharana Pratap Sports College as athletes from various states gathered for the 38th edition of the National Games. They danced to the beats of the dhol and Bollywood numbers and raised the pre-Games excitement with their banter and laughter.

This is the third National Games being organised in four years and that is a huge lift given that not so long ago, the multidisciplinary event was fighting for survival. But with Gujarat, Goa and now Uttarakhand coming forward as hosts, the National Games is suddenly back on the domestic calendar.

However, it needs to be ensured that athletes remain the primary focus of the Games, and the occasion does not become only an opportunity of brand prom...