Shillong, June 2: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday officially sent off the state’s U-20 Boys’ football team, comprising 28 promising players, for an elite training camp at the prestigious Olympique Lyonnais Training Academy in Lyon, France. The intensive program is scheduled to run from June 5 to June 25, 2025.
Addressing the young athletes, Chief Minister Sangma emphasized the immense potential within Meghalaya’s youthful population and underscored the government’s strategic efforts to harness this strength through significant investments in youth-centric initiatives.
“When the file for this program came to me, I assented without hesitation,” CM Sangma stated, acknowledging the substantial expenditure of Rs. 2.80 crore. “This amount is not an expenditure but an investment,” he stressed.
He elaborated on this investment strategy, explaining, “If any of you make it to the ISL in the future, you will be able to get back the investment we have made in each one of you in this particular program in just one season of ISL. That is how I see the entire process of sending this team to Lyon, France, for 20 days’ training. It is an investment in the youth and an investment in the future for the state of Meghalaya.”
The Chief Minister also revealed the state’s ambitious plans to develop football infrastructure, anticipating approximately 50 artificial turfs and the country’s largest football stadium within a few years. “Whether it is in the human resource or the capacity building of players, or infrastructure such as stadiums and football turfs, or support to football clubs and associations, this is all part of the larger vision that we have for the future of our youth and the state,” he affirmed.
Urging the players to maximize this unique opportunity, he advised them to remain focused and committed. “Every single moment you are there, remind yourselves of this opportunity that you are getting and seize the smallest opportunity to learn, to experience, and to share, and be inspired and motivated to strive for the best,” he encouraged.
The contingent, led by defender Rimankhraw Kharumnuid as captain, is the result of a collaborative effort between the Directorate of Sports and the Meghalaya Football Association. The squad underwent an intensive month-long coaching camp at the SSA ground and also participated in the U-20 Nationals in Chhattisgarh, where they made history by reaching the semi-finals for the first time at that level of competition.
This international exposure training camp in Lyon, organized by the Indo-French Sports Association, is expected to provide invaluable experience, myriad opportunities, and critical learnings, not only in the world of football but also beyond.
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