SHILLONG: Legislator SK Sunn, who is the new president of Shillong Sports Association (SSA), has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to restrict holding of government functions and festivals at Second Football Ground at Polo.
In a letter addressed to the chief minister, Sunn said that in the absence of alternative facility for conducting football tournaments, holding of governmental functions for celebration of Meghalaya Day, Republic Day, Independence Day and other government festivals on the ground, has further worsened its condition making it unsafe and dangerous to the young football players, who are pursuing football as their means of earning and livelihood.
With a view to provide infrastructural development to the second ground to create a facility worthy of conducting football matches with improved ground surface condition, the council. members of SSA led by its president, met the members of the Shillong Recreation Ground Trust on January 13 in their office chamber at Polo Ground requesting the Trust to allocate the second ground area to Shillong Sports Association for infrastructural development.
Meanwhile, pending active consideration by the Shillong Recreation Ground Trust on the official request made by the SSA, the legislator requested the government to consider avoiding using second ground for holding governmental functions.
“Such functions, can either be considered holding at the stadium complex where facility is already available or the defence authority may be requested to
allow the state government for holding such functions at the Garison Ground as done in the recent past”, Sunn said.
He also said the SSA which was established in 1916, has completed its journey of 100 years in 2016.
He also reminded the chief minister that the SSA is the only association in the state where three of its affiliated clubs at one point of time played in the l-League of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
They were Shillong Lajong FC, Rangdajied United FC and Royal Wahingdoh
FC. The association has been regularly conducting the Shillong Premier League Football Tournament in the category of Super Division, First Division, Second Division, Third Division, Fourth Division besides Age Group Football Tournaments for 18 years, l5 years, 14 years and 12 years.
More than 3000 players are registered with the association every year. During the 103 years of its journey, the association has produced eight football players who at one point of time represented the Country and were part of the Indian National football team.
They are T. Lotha, Rokos Lamare, Weiladmi Passah, Marlangki Suting, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Aibor Khongjee, Jackychand Singh, and Seityasen Singh. The association has also produced more than 20 players currently playing in the Indian Super League of the AIFF. Following the election of the new council of the association, the council members have considered that the first and foremost task of the council is to improve the playing surface of the first ground for safety of the players.
And, accordingly works for improvement of the surface of the ground have started with fund made available by the members of the Council through interest free loan. The works which involve construction of drains throughout the ground, including laying of natural grass turf, is expected to be completed before the 2020 playing season starts.
“While the first ground is being utilised for conducting the league matches for the Super Division of the Shillong Premiere League, SSA lacks the infrastructural facility to conduct the league matches in respect of First Division, Second Division, Third Division and Fourth Division. Presently, most of the league matches for Second Division, Third Division and Fourth Division are being conducted at the second ground”, Sunn said.
