Shillong, Mar 20: The North East Sports Association (NESA), an umbrella body representing the Olympic associations of the eight regional states, has submitted a proposal to the central government for 686 pre-engineered buildings (PEBs) that would be utilised as multi-purpose indoor sports halls.
The proposal was submitted at a meeting of NESA’s secretary general John F Kharshiing (who is also the Meghalaya State Olympic Association working president) and Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Minister for Development of North East Region (DoNER), in New Delhi yesterday.
During the meeting Kharshiing highlighted the importance of sustained institutional and financial support for regional sporting initiatives.
The PEBs would have the advantage of being cheaper to construct and set up and be usable in all weather. With dimensions of 70m by 50m by 8.5m, they would be introduced in a phased manner across the different community and rural development blocks in the North East.
Under the proposal, Arunachal Pradesh would get 129, Assam 239, Manipur 70, Meghalaya 55, Mizoram 28, Nagaland 74, Sikkim 33 and Tripura 58. The proposed infrastructure aims to address the gap in access to basic sports facilities, particularly in rural and remote areas and to create year-round training and community engagement spaces for youth, Kharshiing said in a release today.
The two also discussed the 4th North East Games 2026, which Arunachal is scheduled to hold, following Nagaland (2024), Meghalaya (2022) and Manipur (2018). Scindia was told that 3,500 athletes and 500 officials are expected at the regional event.
The discussion also focused on the need to establish a dedicated corporate social responsibility (CSR/seed fund to support athletes and state sports associations from the region. The proposed fund would help bridge critical gaps in training, exposure and participation – especially in meeting travel and logistical costs for athletes competing in national events, such as next year’s 39th National Games in Meghalaya.
Scindia assured Kharshiing that the proposals, to be routed through the respective state governments, would be duly examined in line with the Centre’s commitment to promoting inclusive development and youth empowerment in the North East.
