SHILLONG, Jan 19: Is Meghalaya not going to host the National Games in 2022? The indications are clear that the state may not get the opportunity to do so in 2022, when the state turns 50, simply due to the fact that Goa and Uttarakhand will host the Games first.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, during a meeting with members of the All Jaiñtia Sports and Games Forum (AJS&GF) and Jaiñtia Student’s Union (JSU) on Tuesday, revealed that Meghalaya will get the opportunity to host the National Games only after Goa and Uttarakhand.
“Yes, he (Conrad) had told us that Meghalaya’s turn to host the mega sports event would come only after Goa and Uttarakhand,” AJS&GF chairman, Eddie Murphy Passah, told reporters after the meeting with the chief minister.
It is now expected that the state would get the opportunity to host the National Games after five to six years.
Meanwhile, lamenting that no events or disciplines for the Games were scheduled to be held in Jaintia Hills districts, the delegation beseeched the chief minister to assign Jaintia Hills region as one of the venues for the upcoming National Games.
The sports body further asked Conrad to reconsider and reschedule venues by allotting some events and disciplines of sports to Jaintia Hills districts.
Meghalaya was looking to host the National Games in 2022, the year when Meghalaya will also celebrate its 50th year of statehood. However, doubts mushroomed due to the sluggish progress of works on new sports infrastructure for hosting the Games.
Moreover, the Cabinet had approved a proposal from the Sports and Youth Affairs department to hand over 64.34 acre of land to the department for the preparation of the Games as the department wanted possession of the land at Umsawli in New Shillong Township for preparation.