Shillong, Jun 16: The Meghalaya Sports Conclave 2026 was held today with discussions on sports governance, digital transformation and athlete development, bringing together leading athletes, officials, policymakers and experts from across the country.
An otherwise run of the mill government event filled with politicians and civil servants was enlivened by the presence of standout Olympians, Paralympians and other sports personalities. These included Olympic medallists Manu Bhaker (shooting) and PR Sreejesh (hockey), Asian Games gold medallist Hima Das (sprint) and Paralympic medallist archers Sheetal Devi and Harvinder Singh.
The conclave was organised by the Department of Sports & Youth Affairs and comes roughly a year before Meghalaya is to host the 39th National Games.
The conclave featured three thematic sessions. The first, on ‘Transforming India’s Sports Governance’, brought together Bhaker and Sreejesh alongside policymakers and governance experts. Panellists stressed that sports policies must go beyond elite athletes to build inclusive ecosystems from the grassroots up, with athletes given a stronger voice in policymaking.
The second session, on ‘Innovation and Digital Transformation in Sports’, explored how technology, data analytics and strategic partnerships are reshaping sports ecosystems. The panel, which included World Athletics Vice-President Adille Sumariwalla, Go Sports Foundation Board Member Deepthi Bopaiah, Olympic medallist Abhinav Bindra and RevSportz founder Boria Majumdar, both joining virtually, highlighted the role of evidence-based decision-making in athlete development and performance monitoring.
The third session, on ‘Holistic Development for a Sustainable Sporting Future’, featured Chief Secretary Shakil P Ahammed alongside Bhaker, Das, Devi, Singh and Sreejesh, who spoke about their personal journeys and the systems that shaped them. Discussions underscored the need for stronger collaboration between governments, federations and institutions, early talent identification and societal recognition of sports as a pathway for holistic development.
The event ended with a screening of Rise Meghalaya, a cringe-inducing music video in praise of the state government.
(Photo contributed)