Guwahati to host Saarc Games, Himalayan Region competition

By our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 3:  2015 is going to be a big year for sports in Guwahati. The city wil host two intertiol meets this year and many top stars of Indian sports like Virendra Sehwag, MC Mary Kom, Sushil Kumar and Dipika Pallikal  will  also visit the city to inspire the talented youths.

Disclosing the news in a media gathering Sarbanda Sonowal, the Union Sports Minister who was accompanied by India’s star boxer L Sarita Devi,  today said, “Guwahati is almost selected as the venue of the South Asian Association for Regiol Cooperation (SAARC) Games which will be held in the last part of this year. On the other hand, the Himalayan Region Sports competition, which will be organized for the first time, would also be held in Guwahati around April.”

While the SAARC Games will see participation by all SARRC countries, the Himalaya Region Sports Competition will have Nepal and Bhutan besides Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the eight northeastern states.

“We are going to extend all possible support to hold the events,” Sonowal said.

. Meanwhile, Sonowal today said that sports persolities like Virender Sehwag, Mary Kom, Sushil Kumar Dipika Pallikal and others will attend the tiol Youth Festival which will be held in Guwahati from January 8. Around 3000 delegates from the different parts of the country are expected to take part in it.

Sonowal also added, the sports ministry had plans to cover over six lakh villages of the country with sporting infrastructure. “Indoor and outdoor stadiums will be made in over 7,000 blocks across the country under the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan and we have requested the state governments to identify suitable land for the projects. The central government will provide necessary funds," he said.

The minister said that a football and archery academy will be set up in northeast India.

Giving importance  on the introduction of sports medicine and sports science in a very big way in Indian sports Sonowal said, "There is need for the study of sports medicine and sports sciences. We want to make sports a way of life in India and also to make India the sporting hub of the world. For that we need to take the help of sports medicine and sports science in a big way. We have planned to start sports medicine and sports science center in every states," he said.

The sports ministry also decided to introduce tiol Sports Talent Search Scheme. Under this scheme competitions would be held for 8–12 year students to select teh talented players and later all possible support would be provided to them, including nutritious food, equipment, training and institutiol support.

When asked about Guwahati’s chance to become host of U–17 world cup soccer championship  Sonowal said,“ I am eagerly waiting to see Guwahati as one of the venue for this meet. I had discussed the matter with the FIFA delegates during their recent visit in the country. I am optimistic that Guwahati will be able to fulfill all the norms and be selected as one of the venue.”

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