SHILLONG:
The Sports & Youth Affairs Department has been granted Rs 208 crore for the fiscal year 2022-23, a 13 percent increase over 2021-22.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced this during his presentation of the state budget to the Assembly.
The JN Stadium in Polo is being upgraded (at a cost of Rs 40 crore), while the new PA Sangma Integrated Sports Complex in Tura (at a cost of Rs 128 crore) will be constructed by December. The construction of the state-of-art indoor stadium at the JN Sports Complex (Rs 97 crore) will begin in 2022-23.
There will be 12 badminton courts, an indoor shooting range, a running track, and an amphitheatre inside the complex.
In addition, the CM stated that 150 grassroots sporting infrastructure projects have been undertaken for Rs 45 crore over the last two years, with an additional Rs 40 crore earmarked in 2022-23 to finish them.
With the cessation of the Covid-19 epidemic, the administration will relaunch ‘Mission Football’ and reactivate grassroots centres around the state.
In partnership with the Meghalaya State Olympic Association, a programme for identifying talent at the grassroots level would be launched employing “state-of-the-art testing methodologies.”
He also stated that the Meghalaya Games will be held in May and that it will henceforth be a biannual event.
Meghalaya will also host the second edition of the North East Olympics as part of the state’s golden jubilee celebrations.