SHILLONG: The State Government is going all out to promote football in Meghalaya, leaving several young and promising cricketers to lament lack of attention to the country’s most popular sports.
Speaking to reporters on the matter recently, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Zenith Sangma denied that the Government had ignored cricket in Meghalaya.
He went on to say that the Government was committed to promoting cricket in Meghalaya by way of constructing some cricket grounds in Garo Hills.
“It can’t be said that we are ignoring cricket,” he said.
Honorary secretary of Meghalaya Cricket Association, Naba Bhattacharjee, informed that they had approached the Director of MUDA on two occasions to allot land for construction of a cricket stadium.
“Surprisingly, we were shown a plot of land along a gorge where a cricket stadium cannot be built even in hundred years,” he said, while asserting that infrastructure has improved in the cricket ground at Polo.
He said that a small indoor facility was being constructed where cricketers can practice at any time of the year. This indoor facility would be of great help since Shillong has around six months of rainy season.
“We are also developing a ground in Garo Hills,” he added.
Budding cricketers, however, observed that infrastructure was lacking at the moment in Shillong.
“We don’t even have a ground with flood lights,” said a young cricketer who did not wish to be identified.
Another young cricketer said that the State would be able to produce better cricketers when there are better facilities available for them.
