Shillong, Mar 14: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma will meet with Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports in New Delhi to discuss Meghalaya’s hosting of the 2022 National Games.
Sangma held a review meeting with Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh and officials here today.
Seventeen stadiums and two games villages along with other infrastructure for the 35 sports disciplines puts the budgeted expenditure at Rs 2,000 crore.
Meghalaya signed the host city contract with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in January under the previous Congress-led government. Meghalaya has to complete all of its infrastructural requirements by 2021.
“The Chief Minister will meet the Union Sports Minister on 17th March, to seek the support of the Centre on the matter. I will also be accompanying him to New Delhi,” Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh told reporters after the review meeting.
He said that the CM is taking the initiative and is very positive about the mega sporting event. Lyngdoh added that in order to successfully pull off the Games, the government may float expressions of interest for professional consultants.
The Tourism and Urban Affairs Ministers will also be included as members of the National Games organising committee, which is headed by Sangma, Lyngdoh informed.
Meanwhile, the Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA) also felicitated the new Sports Minister, who is the ex-officio President of the association and the former secretary of Langsning FC, on the same day.
“We have requested the minister, who also comes from the sports background, to ensure we are able to meet the deadline for hosting the National Games,” MSOA working president John Kharshiing told journalists.
Informing that the National Games Committee has to be constituted before April 3, Kharshiing said that the association has also sought a meeting with the IOA to discuss various issues.
Meanwhile, he added that land has been identified in East Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi and Garo Hills for the National Games’ facilities and the government has six months to finalise the land issues.
One hundred acres is required for the games village, 50 acres for a mini-village and 10 acres each for the 17 stadiums.
Kharshiing said that world class infrastructure has to be created and designed in such a way so that they will provide useful even after the Games.
(Photo contributed by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations)
