SHILLONG, Jan 22: The State BJP is in discussions with the Centre to set up a sports university in Garo Hills, said the party’s state vice president, Bernard Marak on Monday.
“We are planning for a sports university and we, as the BJP, are talking to our leaders at the Centre,” Marak, who is also the Tura MDC, said.
He emphasised that there is a need to identify and nurture raw sports talents towards excellence in the region.
Talking about the recently concluded Meghalaya Games, he said, “Garo Hills hosted the 5th Meghalaya Games in Tura but the Garo Hills districts did not make it to the first, second and third position, which compelled the BJP to move Centre for a National Sports University”.
“I am not pointing my fingers at anybody because I only feel that we need more facilities and we should have a good sports university for talents to be identified and nurtured hidden in rural areas,” he said.
He said, “I do not blame the athletes who did their best but I feel the outcome could have been better if proper training and guidance was given to these athletes. They were not properly trained and made ready for the competition by the concerned authorities”.
The State BJP vice president also blamed the ‘negligence’ of the political leaders for bad performance of Garo Hills region in the Games.
“Funds are being earmarked every year for sports and youth, but out here, we don’t find much sporting events being organised unlike the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. The facilities are not utilised properly in Garo Hills,” he said.
He added, “Such deprivation was not justified when our own Chief Minister was leading the event with a budget excessive beyond measure. Most of the participants in Garo Hills joined at the eleventh hour and that too without proper training and guidance”.
Stating that one of the RTI findings revealed that 75 jerseys to various clubs were given, Mark said that on inquiring, it was found that the clubs never received the said jerseys, while also claiming that the jerseys were supplied by the hardware shop.
He said, “The interest of youth is not properly focused on. In fact, I would say it is being misused. So much money is spent on sports and youths, but in reality, it only profits a few political aides who nail the major profit for themselves while the general public are made the scapegoat of the whole event.”
