Tura, Jan 12:  In a momentous development for sports enthusiasts in Garo Hills, particularly in the realm of athletics, Tura’s first and only track and field athletics stadium was inaugurated at Dakopgre on Friday.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated the complex, which has been named after the great Garo freedom fighter Pa Togan Nengminja.

Sanctioned in 2020-21 at a cost of Rs 16.02 Crore (Phase 1), this synthetic 8 lane athletic track has been made as per international sporting standards and can hold over 2000 spectators.

Similarly, many projects for Track & Field, Natural and Artificial grounds, Indoor & Outdoor Stadiums with built in sports infrastructure are coming up in different parts of the State. These infrastructures that are being constructed will make Meghalaya one of the top states in… pic.twitter.com/TGLjzAn6GY

— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) January 12, 2024

Commending the government’s dedication to fostering sports and youth engagement in the state, Chief Minister Sangma expressed optimism about Meghalaya’s trajectory in sports infrastructure. “Within the next 3 to 4 years, Meghalaya will have one of the highest densities in sports infrastructure, if not in the country, then at least in the eastern region,” declared Sangma, emphasising the commitment to providing ample opportunities for the youth to pursue and excel in their sporting passions.

He revealed that Meghalaya has seen great returns when it came to sports, music through grassroot music, entrepreneurship through PRIME programme and CM Elevate.

“Whether it is music or sports, we expect that we will be able to soon see many of our youngsters at the regional, national and even international level,” a confident Conrad Sangma said, adding that the super athlete programme in Meghalaya called Star Program is one of a kind and possibly the only such programme in the country where sportspersons are scientifically tested to identify their potential.

“Today, under the Star programme, 12 super athletes out of the 15000+ screened have been identified to compete at international standards. They would not have (been) known if this Star Program was not initiated,” he underscored.

The chief minister also gave a pep talk to sports persons calling them to treat this unique stadium as a temple to train and test their potential.

“We have decided to hold the Meghalaya Games every year, beginning this year, and will shift to each region annually. Besides giving opportunity to the youth through these games we will also be creating infrastructure which will be given back to society. Almost 50 percent of the money spent on infrastructure for these games are being done in institutes, in colleges and schools, so that once the games are over these institutes will be able to utilize them for the benefit of the students,” Sangma said.

Also Read: Meghalaya Games 2024 | U-18 Girls’ football: Eastern West Khasi Hills overpower East Garo Hills

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