SHILLONG, April 28: Social activist Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh adopted a satirical tone on Sunday when he exhorted Commissioner and Secretary of Sports & Youth Affairs Department, Vijay Kumar D, to restore the dismantled indoor stadium at Lachumiere, once the site of the NSCA or U Tirot Sing Indoor Stadium.
This appeal comes ahead of the visit of Samuel Bouchard, Chargé de mission/Cooperation officer at the Consulate General of France in Kolkata, who is expressing keen interest in exploring collaborative opportunities with Meghalaya, particularly in talent identification and training across various sports disciplines.
Expressing his opposition to the visit, Pyrtuh said, “I urge you to kindly return the dismantled Indoor Stadium at Lachumiere where the erstwhile NSCA or U Tirot Sing Indoor Stadium once stood. The day you return, we will rebuild it and convert it into a professional training arena for badminton talents as well as for recreational indoor sports activities.”
Pyrtuh informed that the dismantling of the indoor stadium had deterred many aspiring badminton talents from Meghalaya, thereby dampening enthusiasm and causing a loss of hope among regular players and members.
He also emphasised the strategic location of the indoor stadium at Lachumiere, situated in the midst of governance and educational institutions with convenient public transportation access.
Recalling that the land in Lachumiere, where the dismantled stadium stands, was gifted by the KELSA Club to the National Sports Club of Assam (NSCA) in 1954 for developing sports hostels and indoor sports facilities for the youths of the hill region, Pyrtuh pointed out that after Meghalaya’s inception, the State Legislature had introduced the National Sports Club of Assam (Taking Over and Management) Act of 1978.
“It can be deduced that the passage of the Act is to promote and perpetuate sporting activities as clearly laid downs in the aims and objects of NSCA in 1954,” he said.
Meanwhile, with regard to the ongoing renovation at the JN Sports Complex at Polo, Pyrtuh flagged the current state of disarray there, with iron rods, scrap materials, and debris scattered around, posing safety risks and dissuading parents to send their children there.
Arguing that the dismantled stadium at Lachumiere, which has remained unused for almost two years now, is likely to turn into a den of unlawful activities, especially at nighttime, Pyrtuh continued, “We wish to discuss many sports-related issues but it’s better if we meet in person and on the spot where things happen, so that we can get a clearer picture or we can meet at Kong Deng Tea Shop at Lachumiere on Saturday morning and discuss over a plate of puri, omelette and tea.”
