Roadmap for Sports in the Northeast

The Union Cabinet’s approval of the National Sports Policy 2025 is a benchmark initiative to reshape sports governance. It brings an opportunity for the Northeast States to harness the hidden sports talent and tap the potential of the region to become a global sports hub. The new policy supersedes the existing Sport Policy 2001 and lays the strategic roadmap to transform the country’s sports landscape. The northeast region has produced many internationally famed sportspersons who have brought accolades for the country but continues to lag behind other regions in sports infrastructure at the grassroots level, with many interior areas still lacking required sports grounds and other sports infrastructure to nurture sports talents. The new policy will serve as a model for states and union territories for updating their existing sport policies and aligning those with national goals. Nevertheless, the sports infrastructure in the region has received a push in the past four years, with the central government sanctioning Rs 439 crore under the Khelo India Programme for 64 sports infrastructure projects, including synthetic turfs, multipurpose halls, swimming pools, and hostels. The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs decision to organise Khelo India Northeast Games in one of the eight NE states annually is another major policy push for promoting sporting events to scout talents, harness untapped potential, and also provide a platform for showcasing traditional sports from the region. The establishment of 250 Khelo India Centres, eight Khelo India State Centres of Excellence, and three National Centres of Excellence at Guwahati, Imphal, and Itanagar has facilitated the training of several thousand athletes from the region. The new policy proposes integrating sports into school curricula and equipping educators and physical education teachers with specialised training to promote sports education and awareness, which is in alignment with the National Education Policy. Building sports infrastructure at the school level in government-run schools will be critical to achieving the objective of integrating it into school curricula and providing a platform to spot sports talent in students belonging to marginalised and downtrodden communities. It will provide a level playing field among students of private and government schools. One of the key pillars of the news policy is promoting sports tourism and attracting major international events to India, strengthening the sports manufacturing ecosystem, and promoting startups and entrepreneurship in the sector. It proposes encouraging private sector participation through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and innovative funding initiatives. The states in the region playing a proactive role and incorporating necessary provisions in their respective state policies to incentivise private investments and pitch for CSR and other funding support will ensure that region also taps the potential of becoming a hub of sports manufacturing. The Act East Policy and Neighbourhood First policy provide an edge to the region to attract investors in sports manufacturing with an eye on a wider market in the neighbourhood. As 60% of sports goods manufactured in India are exported, the region can expect to get a share of the export market by creating the ecosystem for boosting sports manufacturing in a big way. The whole-of-government approach envisaged in the new policy that calls for integration of sports promotion into the activities, schemes, and programs of all ministries and departments to achieve a holistic impact can also be adopted by the states in the region to promote sports in a big way through collaborative efforts of the government and communities. The sports policies of the states in the region need to ensure that the urban planning process is aligned with sports promotion. Lessons must be learnt from real estate pressure leading to the vanishing of community playgrounds in fast-expanding Guwahati and other state capitals in the region. As urbanisation is expanding in the region, it has become an urgent necessity to create legal provisions for the mandatory creation of sports playgrounds and complexes in each village or ward of municipal bodies and make those accessible for the community for sport activities. Students getting access to a safe sports arena in their neighbourhood is essential to promote outdoor activities for reducing their digital screen time and stress, improving their physical fitness, and providing them the required space for nurturing dreams among some of them to take up sports as a career goal. When sport activities flourish in all rural and urban areas of the region, it will make the sports landscape across the region more competitive and help the region grow into a strong talent pool for the entire country. The states earmarking required budgetary allocations will be vital for achieving the transformation envisaged in their updated sports policies. The new policy has been adopted with the target of hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and making India a strong contender for the 2036 Olympic Games. A strong policy push will make the region become a key destination for such global sports events.