The National Games is turning out to be an event dominated by organisational dysfunction as the athletes, support staff and mediamen continued to go through harrowing times for the second consecutive day.
The mediapersons covering the 33rd National Games in Guwahati are badly hit by 'poor dissemination' of results and information.
The media centre at the Nehru Stadium, venue of at least five sporting disciplines, wore a deserted look with no authorised person available for switching on the computers.
The situation at the media centre at the main sports complex at Sarusajai was no different.
Results of the events were not available on time and no official was present to brief the journalists about the proceedings.
M K Yadav, CMD of the state government electronic company AMTRON, responsible for media communication, said the collapse of a communication tower seriously disrupted internet and mobile services since the morning.
"Efforts are on for switching over to alternate communication towers for restoring at least the internet services so that the Games results could be disseminated to the media," he said.
On the other hand, over 30 school children participating in the opening ceremony on Friday had to suffer a lot due to the lack of drinking water and poor quality food provided to them.
Inexperience of the organisers was evident as far as management of the medical team is concerned.
Members of a team from the Gauhati Medical College said they had been provided with only 100 pain relief sprays for the 10-day sporting event, whereas 20 bottles were required for a football or hockey match.
On the Games opening day, the men's football team of Assam had a major embarrassment in store as they were compelled to play their match against Maharashtra in borrowed jerseys. The Guwahati Sports Association came to the rescue of the state players as their uniform did not reach in time.
The match also started half an hour late as officials had to wait for the medical team to arrive. The match had to begin without a medical team.
In another incident, contrary to the official announcement that swimmer Fariha Zaman would carry the Assam flag at the opening ceremony, the state contingent was led by athlete Paban Saikia.
Meanwhile, the school authorities have strongly protested the suffering of the students during the opening ceremony and are considering pulling out of the closing ceremony on February 18.
Principal of Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Kalipur, Purnima Biswas said she had apprised the organisers of the fact that stale food was provided to the students.
"We may pull out of the closing ceremony if our grievances are not addressed as we cannot put lives of over a thousand children in danger," said the school's Barsujai branch principal Panchali Roy.
Expressing similar views, managements of other participating schools also threatened to pull out their students from the closing ceremony.
