SHILLONG, SEPT 1: Former minister Robert G Lyngdoh has slammed the state government for its failure to come up with a state sports policy and lack of coordination with the sports associations ahead of the National Games to be hosted by Meghalaya in 2022.
Addressing at the 14th State Swimming Competition organized by the Meghalaya Swimming Association (MSA) at the Crinoline swimming pool here on Saturday, Lyngdoh said, “How are we going to approach the national games if there is no policy (in place) that will give the direction? I fear we would not be able to achieve what we need to achieve.”
He also recalled that when he was with the Meghalaya State Olympic Association he had tried to push as hard as possible to ensure that the state has a sports policy that will govern all the sport activities in the state but failed.
“I took responsibility for the failure as I did not stand for the elections of the MSOA any longer. I was hoping that it would make the government see that the folly in not having a sports policy but unfortunately I find till today we still do not have a sport policy,” he said.
On the other hand, Lyngdoh also said that he thought everything would be on a war footing with just three years left towards the national games in 2022 but he was very disappointed and saddened to hear that the MSA did not even get the pool in time to prepare it for this championship.
He went on to add that the lackadaisical attitude of government officials has once again managed to spoil the enthusiasm and the motivation that is there with the members of the Meghalaya Swimming Association.
The former minister also appealed to the state government through the media to understand the harm that it is doing to sports in Meghalaya when it does not coordinat its activities together with the sports associations be it swimming, boxing, football and others.
Lyngdoh was also of the opinion that it is time for the state machinery to put its faith in these associations and allow these associations to do a good job by first and foremost identifying where the potentials are and then having identified the potentials give them the support that they required to train and coach these people so that they come to a level where they will be able to come and participate in the national stage.
“We got just three years and if the government continues this attitude of trying to put stumbling blocks on the part of the associations rather than encouraging the associations to perform, I fear that the national games in Meghalaya will be dominated by other states and our state will be perhaps at the bottom of the table,” he said adding “I sincerely hope that the government of Meghalaya will wake up and I appeal to the authorities to kindly rectify all the problems that are there.”
He further asserted the need to keep politics and negative part of sports aside by giving the free hand and support to the associations to do the job of identifying and grooming potential and talented youth of the state.
“I know we have a lot of potentials and I hope the government also sees this potential first by starting zoning the games in the different areas of the state,” he added.
Earlier in his speech, MSA general secretary Ian A Lyngdoh lamented at the delay of the government to hand over the swimming pool to the Meghalaya Swimming Association.
“We have the MSA here but it is beyond us to look after the management of the swimming pool. We do apologize to the participants. I would like to share with you sportspersons, we have a lot of sporting spirit here but we need the support from the authorities to carry on with our sporting heritage of sporting tradition if we want to move forward to the national games 2022,” he said.
Stating that there is a big talk about the national games 2022, Lyngdoh said that he on behalf of all the sporting associations in Meghalaya is sorry to say that the state still have a long way to go.
“If we have to go forward to the 2022 national games, we need to revamp the sports department here in Meghalaya in view of the present management of the state sports affairs,” he said.
According to him, the government needs to understand that sports is not only about participating, running or swimming, sports is about friendship, excellence and respect.
By Our Reporter
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