Shillong, Nov 5: The Games Technical and Conduct Committee (GTCC) of the 39th National Games has come away pleased with the work in progress for the multidisciplinary mega sporting event that Meghalaya will host next year after a series of meetings and venue inspections.
Meghalaya will hold the bulk of the disciplines across Greater Shillong, Tura, Ri-Bhoi and Wahiajer-Jowai, with a few sports to be held in other North East states. Meghalaya has proposed 39 disciplines, which will be decided on by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the coming days.
Addressing reporters at the conclusion of their four-day visit to Meghalaya, GTCC Chairperson Sunaina Kumari said that the committee has been happy to see the development work at the venues. “We’ve had a lot of meetings with government departments and stakeholders and it is good to see that everyone is on the same page working to make the Games very successful.”
Kumari and the four other GTCC members toured venues in Shillong, Wahiajer and Jowai. They were scheduled to visit Umiam Lake on their way out of Meghalaya today. The Tura venues were apparently not covered in this trip but Kumari said that the GTCC will be visiting these at a later date.
“We are confident seeing the venues and some of the accommodation that it will be a very successful Games,” she said.
Meghalaya’s Director of Sports and Youth Affairs, Alertson Nongbri, said that 39 disciplines (38 for competition and one (softball) as a demonstration sport) have been proposed to the IOA. Several of these have practically no presence in Meghalaya, either because the state association governing the sport is new or dormant. These include the likes of fencing, hockey, handball, kabaddi, netball, rugby.
The venues include the JN Stadium for the opening ceremony and athletics, the new multidisciplinary indoor stadium behind it, the SSA Stadium for football, Shillong Golf Club, NEHU campus for cycling, Sports Authority of India centre, Wahiajer for lawn bowls and football, Kiang Nangbah Stadium in Jowai, Umiam Lake and Umtham for water sports, the indoor halls at Lawsohtun and Laban and three sites in Tura – Pa Togan Nengminja Sangma Athletics Stadium, PA Sangma Sports Complex and Sunny Hills Indoor Stadium.
Meghalaya State Olympic Association Working President John F Kharshiing said that, as of now, the state government has provided crores of rupees in support for associations that are active and have been recognised by the MSOA. The funding they have received is being monitored by the Sports Department. When the final list of approved disciplines is made, any new state sports associations in the list will receive handholding from a Supervising and Monitoring Committee.
The state government has proposed March 10 to 30 for the Games, leaving just four months to go, though the final dates have not been decided on.
Proposed disciplines: archery, athletics, aquatics, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing & kayaking, cycling, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, handball, judo, kabaddi, kho kho, karate, lawn bowls, modern pentathlon, netball, rowing, rugby, shooting, squash, sailing, triathlon, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, wushu, yogasana, arm wrestling, muay thai, sports climbing, softball (demo)
