Shillong, May 7: Athletes who bagged podium places in the U-16 girls’ 4x100m race were left disappointed after the ceremony where they would have received their medals was cancelled on the final day of the 4th Meghalaya Games 2022.
Athletics had been affected by rain over the last two days of the Games and that pushed the events further and further back until it was near darkness when they concluded yesterday. The official in charge of athletics decided that it was too late to conduct the medal ceremony, the Meghalaya State Olympic Association said today.
One of the U-16 East Khasi Hills sprinters was crestfallen, however. What made it worse for her is that she and some of her team mates did not participate in the march-past at Tuesday’s opening ceremony because they had not received their Meghalaya Games tracksuits in time.
“The organisation was a complete flop,” the girl’s aunt said. “They didn’t give them medals, no certificates either and they did not get a chance to stand on the podium. They gave the relay team nothing. Literally nothing.”
To train for this event, the teenager would wake up at 5:30AM and studies were put on the backburner during her preparations as well.
“How can they do this to the young athletes? It’s so depressing,” the girl’s aunt added.
(Representative photo)
