By Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh
Dear fellow Citizens,
This is an earnest appeal to all for the sake of the youths and future of sports in the State. We need to come together, break our heads and chart out a concrete plan to redevelop sports and sports facilities in the State.
Local sports events are forgotten by the masses. Even MLAs hardly debate on the subject of sports and youth affairs in the House. In fact, sports and leisure are an integral part of human society and Prof Radhon S Lyngdoh well expounded the Khasi concept of “rongbiria” which encapsulates, arts, music, sports and leisure. In his words, “u khasi/briew um lah ban im khlem ka rongbiria bad ka rongbiria ka long kaba kongsan ban pyntngen ia ka jingim ba thait bad ba lywait” (a Khasi/human will not survive without arts, sports, music and leisure. They are vital as they soothe all the pains, stresses and discomforts of life).
It was in 1985 that the Sports Cell within the Directorate of Public Instruction was upgraded into a full-fledged Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, with the clear-cut plan to facilitate the development of sports, games and youth activities. The State has no dearth of talents, but is extremely lacking in support systems. This has adversely hampered the growth of sports, games and arts. Nonetheless, individual citizens of the State had been exhibiting their sheer grit and talents and excelled despite many shortfalls. And it is their love for sports that Meghalaya still remains a good place to live in.
In Meghalaya, sports is totally orphaned by the lack of proper sports facilities and even those that are still standing and providing a space for sports persons to sweat out, are on the verge of being taken down and converted into a Bhavan or an Administrative Complex. To give the readers a concrete idea on the deterioration of sports in the State let us look at how the only stadium where the game of Badminton is played – the U Tirot Singh Indoor Stadium – at Lachumiere is sought to be converted into an “Administrative Bhavan.”
On December 21, 2021, the Notice Inviting Tender was published for the Construction of “U Tirot Sing Bhavan” on the location where the historic U Tirot Sing Indoor Stadium stands. This decision came as a great surprise to sports persons and especially the Badminton and Table Tennis players. It is also learnt that the Government had unilaterally taken the decision without any consultation with either the State Sports Associations or sports persons who are major stakeholders. That aside, the apathy and arrogance of those at the helm was such that did not even bother to respond to the repeated pleas and submissions on the matter. The sports persons and members of U Tirot Sing Indoor Stadium along with other Sports Associations have made numerous attempts to draw the attention of the Government to reconsider the decision to convert the said Indoor Sports facility, at Lachumiere into an Administrative Bhavan, but all went in vain.
On February 24, 2022 the Badminton and Table Tennis players met in the premises and publicly expressed their resentment and protest against the move of the Government. Following this meet the Meghalaya State Badminton Association (MSBA) submitted the letter expressing disappointment (Letter N0. MSBA/2021-22/27 dated 5.4.2022) and on June 2, 2022 regular members and badminton players submitted in writing and pleaded with the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Meghalaya to recall the decision. Till date the State Government has not responded to the appeals. On the contrary the State Sports Association, like the MSBA were served with a notice to vacate the premises vide letter N0. SSCM/CE/83/2013-2014/104 Dated Shillong March 28, 2022.
It is noteworthy to study the history and context of the location as it will guide us to certain facts and enable us to get a better understanding on the matter. The U Tirot Sing Indoor Stadium at Lower Lachumiere, was formerly known as the NSCA Stadium. Many of us were baffled by the abbreviation NSCA and what it stands for. Some senior members opined that NSCA stands for the “National Sports Council of Assam.” However, the official portal of the Sports and Youth Affairs Department, Government of Assam, shows no such Council existed. In fact, there is the Board of Sports of Assam in the hierarchy of Sports governance which is duly constituted as per the National Sports Club of Assam (Taking Over of Management and Control) Act 1977.
After in-depth research on the historicity of NSCA it is found that there was the National Sports Club of Assam with its Regional wing at Shillong and its Constitution was approved in 1951. Subsequently, the National Sports Club of Assam within the composite State of Assam was registered on March 11, 1954 under the Registration of Societies Act 1860, with the clear objectives, “to provide means for improving the health and physique of the youth of Assam through the medium of Sports and games… and to promote, encourage and improve all outdoor and indoor games, sports…” etc.
According to R.B Das, one amongst the oldest living professional badminton players in the State, the land at Lachumiere was gifted by the P&T Department and the outdoor badminton court was drawn for shuttlers to play. Moreover, in 1959, senior government officers and prominent personalities, like Mr Dharmananda Das, who later became the Chief Secretary of Assam in 1971, and Mr Naresh Chandra Rajkhowa, a journalist of The Assam Tribune among others came together and mobilized funds for the construction of the Indoor Badminton Court in the said location. An old Assamese resident of Shillong said that besides Badminton, the National Sports Club of Assam also managed the games of Squash, Tennis, Billiards etc in the same location. The Squash court exists even today. There is no doubt that the NSCA was the National Sports Club of Assam in which both the Assam and Meghalaya Governments had taken over the management and control via separate legislations in 1977 and 1978 respectively.
On February 24, 2022, the General Secretary of the Meghalaya State Badminton Association (MSBA) clearly stated that the erstwhile NSCA Stadium at Lower Lachumiere, was inaugurated by Dr Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, former President of India in 1964 on the gifted land. It was the first Indoor Stadium in the entire Khasi-Jaintia Hills and was dedicated for development of the game of Badminton in the region. In 1992, it was reconstructed and improvised so as to meet the basic facilities required for Badminton. Further, in honour of U Syiem Tirot Sing, the Syiem of Hima Nongkhlaw, it was renamed as U Tirot Sing Indoor Stadium and the bust was erected inside. The citizens, especially students would visit and pay homage to the freedom fighter on July 17, every year.
Since the inauguration, a plethora of championships and tournaments were conducted in the U Tirot Sing Indoor Stadium, viz, State Championship from the year 1982 onwards, the North East Zone Inter State Badminton Championships in 1996, 1992, 2000 and 2008 and Junior National Badminton Championship in 1996. More importantly, the MSBA in collaboration with Shillong Badminton Coaching Centre has been running the Coaching Centre since 2012, to train young shuttlers for the future.
The Government’s decision to convert the sports facility into an Administrative Complex will have ramifications in the field of sports. It is very unfortunate that at a time when the shuttlers in the country are rejuvenated after India lifted the Thomas Cup 2022 and every shuttler is inspired by the achievement of Lakshya Sen, in Meghalaya the fate of budding shuttlers is in limbo. They are uncertain about their future. Where will they play and train themselves now? Or can they still pursue their interests and career in sports? Will there be any place left for them to compete in the sport? These and many questions are bothering us.
U Tirot Sing Indoor Stadium at Lachumiere is historically significant as far as the game of Badminton is concerned and its history must be respected and preserved. This utter disregard of history and the significance of sports activities is deplorable. The construction of a Bhavan reeks to us of the very thing which will ruin sports in the State. Talents are wasted for want of facilities and support. The problem is aggravated as the Indoor Sports facility at J.N Sports Complex in Polo, is out of bounds for sports persons even while this facility is also being used for non-sporting activities.
Sports and youth affairs are expansive and technical matters. They require an in-depth understanding and thorough planning with total commitment; not just distributing jerseys, laptops or musical instruments!