Shillong, Jan 16: Finely Pariat (pictured) took charge as General Secretary of the Meghalaya State Olympic Association yesterday following the resignation of the incumbent, Chiranjib Choudhury.
The choice of Pariat was fixed upon at an emergent meeting of the MSOA. He and the other Joint Secretary, Richard Dkhar, were in the running to replace Choudhury, who had submitted his resignation on Friday.
In a letter to MSOA President and Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs Banteidor Lyngdoh, Choudhury quit with immediate effect due to “personal commitments towards business and family.” This resignation does not affect his role as Secretary of the Meghalaya Table Tennis Association.
During his tenure Meghalaya co-hosted the South Asian Games 2016 and Choudhury was a key member of the team that helped Meghalaya win its bid for the 39th National Games (now postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic) and revive the Meghalaya Games after a decade in abeyance.
However, Choudhury had recently come under personal attack by a pressure group, the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation, which in November called for all non-tribals in the various sports associations of the state to step down, with Choudhury specifically mentioned, and issued a reminder of its stand only a few days ago.
Pariat is the Secretary of the Meghalaya Athletics Association and a Secretary in the Shillong Sports Association.
He has been involved in football and athletics for nearly three decades and his booming laugh and larger than life personality are often seen and heard at the JN Sports Complex. He will now occupy one of the two most important seats in the MSOA, the other held by Working President John F Kharshiing, and represent Meghalaya at the national level.
(File photo)
