The grand finale of the 2nd North East Olympics Games was successfully completed without any glitches. Aspirations will always be there that Meghalaya should have state of the art sporting facilities and this should be a priority since the youth of the state have shown immense potential in different sporting categories. Many have observed that Meghalaya is not far behind when it comes to winning medals in different fields at national and international sporting events. If adequate attention and investment was paid to sports from the time the state was born perhaps some of the youth might have even qualified for the Olympics. Matsiewdor War presently in the civil services participated in archery at the Asian Games at Seoul in 1986. At the time India had only about 150 archers. Today there are about 20,000 and counting. Matsiewdor War succeeded not because of state sponsorship but because her father was a proponent of the sport and gave her the required training. This is true of many sportspersons in Meghalaya even today. They make it to international events mainly due to family support and the sponsorship of sports lovers and empathisers. The state has not really invested in sportspersons to the level that other states have done. Nor has the sports infrastructure been up to the desired standards.
It is now time for the State of Meghalaya to focus on a few sporting events that the youth excel in and provide the coaching needed for them to scale new heights. So far parents have been reluctant to allow their children to devote their time and energy to sports on the plea that it would disrupt their studies. But when they see their children performing well and being absorbed by sporting bodies or other institutions on account of their excellent performance, parents will have a change of heart.
As some sportspersons have stated, the games venues and stadia should not be used for non-sporting activities. They are sacrosanct spaces and must be respected so that the athletes too feel they deserve respect. Meanwhile the State has to allocate resources for different districts too and not concentrate on Shillong alone. A serious talent search should begin with the idea of catching them young. Such talent should be diligently nurtured. The problem is with those talented but poor youth. Even if they are given a stipend for a proper diet that amount would not suffice for the entire family. Hence, the state needs to create sports academies where talented athletes can be trained and learn to compete with others and are also nurtured with strict discipline. The MOA and all involved in the NEOG -2022 deserve accolades.
