SHILLONG: Meghalaya is all set to host the Meghalaya Games from Monday with high hopes that the event is set to inspire youths of the state to excel in different disciplines of the sports.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA), Working President, John F Kharshiing said that this was going to be the biggest sporting events in Meghalaya in recent years.
Altogether 1,795 athletes and officials are expected to take part. Of the more than 1,500 athletes, 948 are males and 565 females.
This is like a paradigm shift in terms of investing in the youth and if we continue to receive this level of support from the government, Meghalaya will be able to produce Olympic athletes by the time of the 2028 Olympic Games.” Kharshiing said
Meghalaya Games are also important in relation to the National Games 2022, which the state is scheduled to host. The state is only preparing the MSOA for the mega-national event but also preparing the state’s young athletes.
“It is certainly like a test event for the National Games and we hope to have another two editions of the Meghalaya Games before 2022,” Kharshiing added.
The upcoming event will have 14 disciplines now, up from 10 in the last edition, and they will aim to include more in the next edition
The Meghalaya Games 2019-20 will begin with an opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Monday where Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma will be the Chief Guest while the state’s Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Banteidor Lyngdoh will be the guest of honour.