GUWAHATI: Meghalaya State Olympic Association working president, John F Kharshiing presented a book on indigenous art and culture of Meghalaya to Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh and Th. Radheshyam Singh, chairman, organising committee and president, Manipur Olympic Association, during the opening ceremony of the 1st North East Olympic Games 2018, in Imphal on Wednesday.
The secretary general of Manipur State Olympic Association read out the message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who praised the talent the Northeast has in sports and the performance of the athletes to bring laurels to the country.
Top medal winners of Manipur lit the Northeast Olympic torch. The Manipur chief minister expressed appreciation to North Eastern Council for assistance of Rs 20 lakh for the games. The director of NEC was present on the occasion.
The Manipur government had provided Rs 50 lakh for the event. Meghalaya has sent a contingent of 216 athletes and players who will feature in 11disciplines.
A total of over 2000 athletes and technical officials are taking in the five-day event which concludes on October 28.
Earlier, the North East Olympic Games was declared open by the Manipur chief minister in the presence of all state Olympic Association presidents and secretaries from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.