Shillong, May 19: A delegation led by Union Sports Minister and his deputy will be in Shillong from May 28 to 30 for a brain storming session and to sign the fresh contract for 2027 National Games on May 30,
The meeting is part of Chintan Shivir ( brainstorming session) on sports.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday ( May 19), he said that the two-day Eastern Zone meeting from May 28 will be attended by the Bharat Group teams which are there in every state. “This meeting will be for the Eastern Zone including all North Eastern states, West Bengal and Odisha,” Shylla said. A Meghalaya delegation was in New Delhi last week to discuss the National Games agreement, which was first signed nearly eight years ago. “Last week, our team from Shillong went to Delhi to sit with the sports ministry regarding renewal of the agreement for hosting the National Games in 2027,” the minister said.
“There are some corrections to be made because it has been quite a long time. That is why we want to renew this agreement.”
Shylla said the union minister proposed signing the revised pact in Shillong. “When we spoke to them, the minister himself said it is better that we do it here in Shillong. So, that will happen on May 30,” he said.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has suggested changes. “We have already signed the agreement but there are some corrections which are being made from the IOA,” he said.
The minister said he was awaiting details from the team that visited Delhi. “I was not part of that meeting as my team from here went. Right now, they are preparing it, so in a few days we will get full details,” he said.
Preparations
On the preparations, the minister said inspections have been positive. “Preparation is going well as of now. I am not just saying this as a sports minister but I am saying this after the many visits from the sports ministry and last time from IOA. Many people who came and visited and did the inspection on the site were also quite satisfied with our preparation right now,” he said.
Regarding infrastructure, he said, “For different disciplines, there will be separate fields of play. Right now, we have sufficient numbers of grounds for indoor and other events and we even have backup grounds also.”
The state has earmarked Rs 600 crore for the Games and is seeking central assistance.
“The total budget is Rs 600 crore. As of now, this will be from the state’s exchequer but we are pursuing it with the central ministry. I cannot say for sure. It depends on the central government, but as of now, we are going from the state fund”, he said.
