SHILLONG: The first meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) of the National Games 2022, on Monday decided that a ‘smiling clouded leopard’ will be the mascot of the Games.
The meeting which was chaired by Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs, Banteidor Lyngdoh, decided that an open competition would be held for designing a smiling clouded leopard that will be used as the mascot for the National Games in Meghalaya.
Clouded leopard is the State Animal of Meghalaya.
With only three years left for the state government to prepare for the big sporting event, some crucial decisions were taken at the meeting.
At the meeting, the minister informed that the main stadium would be funded by the Ministry of Social Justice. The Stadium will be constructed in a plot of government land of approximately 50 acres in Mawdiangdiang.
It was also agreed that 64.34 acres of land would be acquired from MUDA to construct the Games Village. About 114.34 acres of land has been identified for critical infrastructure for the national games.
An open competition will be conducted by the IPR Department along with the Education department to finalise the Logo and the Theme of the National Games.
In order to finalise the number of sporting events, venues and sports infrastructure, it was agreed that Sub-Committees would be formed headed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Games. The committee will then submit a report to the National games Organising Committee.
The Working President of the MSOA suggested that state’s participants in the national Games be identified from among the state police personnel.
The DGP agreed to talent spotting in the police department. It was also discussed that the Home (police) Department will give incentives to Sports Persons. A policy to implement the same will be drafted by the department.
The NIC along with the IT department will develop a website for the National Games.
The members were also informed that an interim Chief Executive Officer of the Games Secretariat, P.S.Dkhar, IAS has already been notified by the Government
The Master Plan will be compiled by the Director Sports and Youth Affairs department and submitted to the Chairman of National Games Organising Committee, who is also the Chief Minister of the State in the first week of May, 2019.