Jowai,Jan 21: VIP culture dominated the opening ceremony of the 6th Meghalaya Games held in Jowai on Tuesday.
Shillong media persons, who were taken to Jowai to cover the event, were the worst affected as they were told at the venue that hospitality was meant only for the VIPs after a few journalists wanted to have tea.
The government had engaged a star hotel from Shillong for the hospitality.
The journalists reached Jowai in the afternoon after covering the foundation stone laying ceremony for the new secretariat at Umsawli in New Shillong Township.
After lunch, the journalists attended the Meghalaya Day celebrations in Jowai and covered the opening ceremony of Meghalaya Games at Wahiajer in the evening.
The Meghalaya Games went beyond 8 pm but no food was provided to the journalists, who reached Shillong around 11 pm .
The cost of holding the 6th Meghalaya Games is around Rs 35 crore.
Conrad says youth a priority
Earlier, opening the 6th Meghalaya Games 2025., at the Wahiajer Multi Sports Complex Stadium, here, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said, “Sports are not just about winning medals; they are about building character, teaching hard work, and fostering discipline,.
Oer 15000 athletes gathered at the venue. Conrad announced that the present government always puts the youth of the state as a priority, and organising such events will harness their talents and improve their abilities as individuals.
“Youths are an important part of our policy-making. All the schemes that we implement for this particular Meghalaya Games, as well as for the four games that happened during the tenure of this government, are demonstration of the commitment of this government to our youth,” said the chief minister.
According to the chief minister, when one plays sports and faces defeats, one should accept defeat and work hard to improve their skills.
“Playing sports and participating in such games is about discipline, hard work, accepting defeat, learning from that defeat, and improving your skills… it’s about building character,” he said.
“We ensure that these games are held on a rotational basis because we believe that every region has its strengths,” the CM said
The rotation of the venues will not only benefit the athletes but also help development reach all parts of the state’s districts, he said.
“It is about bringing our athletes to different parts of the state… We want to build unity among our people,” he said, emphasizing the importance for athletes to explore and interact with other athletes.
He stressed that rotating venues gives all districts the opportunity to host the Meghalaya Games.
“We believe that every region, every district, must be developed and given the opportunity to host games like these. With the hosting of this game, a lot of infrastructure development has taken place in the Jowai area and West Jaiñtia Hills as a whole,” he said.
He also reiterated the importance of athletes enjoying the sport, even though they need to play to win. “It is not only about winning; it’s about becoming a better person, participating, and enjoying these moments, as these memories will stay with you forever,” he added.
