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Shillong: Sports in the North-Eastern Region has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the last nine years with the shift from ‘Look East Policy’ to ‘Act East Policy’ that has given special emphasis on and impetus to sports infrastructure in the region, Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has said.
“From setting up the 1st National Sports University in Manipur at a cost of Rs 634.34 crore to setting up 227 Khelo India Centres (two per district) in the North East shows the commitment of the government to strengthen the sports ecosystem across all levels and bring the athletes from the North-east to the forefront,” Thakur said in the Rajya Sabha on August 3.
The sports minister added that an additional 75 sports projects with an outlay of Rs 520.7 crore have been approved for the northeastern states. There are three National Centres for Excellence, 12 SAI Training Centres and 22 accredited academies.
Under the Khelo India Scheme, while the first Khelo India Games (KIG) were held in Delhi where 3,000 athletes participated, the second KIGs were held in Guwahati with a massive participation of 6,100 athletes. This gave a huge impetus to sports in the northeastern states, he said in the House.
This year, a two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ of the Ministers of Youth Affairs and Sports of States and UTs was held in Imphal in April where more than 100 invitees from various States, Union Territories participated to discuss the ways and plans on how to take sports ahead.
Thakur also mentioned that sportspersons from the North East, such as Mary Kom, Mirabai Chanu, Baichung Bhutia, Shiv Thapa and Lovlina Borgohain have brought laurels to the nation in international sports events such as the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and World Championships.
