Badminton event to be held in Shillong

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Jan 9: The row over the shifting of the badminton event of the 12th Edition of the South Asian Games has filly been sorted with Shillong being retained as the venue.

According to Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA) working president, John F Kharshiing that he was informally updated by a Meghalaya government official that the state has received the green sigl to host the event.

Kharshiing however said that they are still awaiting for a formal letter from New Delhi.

“We are grateful to the Union Sports Minister, Sarbanda Sonowal and Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma for sorting the issue within a short span of time,” Kharshiing said on Saturday evening.

The MSOA working president informed that recently, the Union Sports Minister and Dr Sangma spoke on the issue and it was filly decided that badminton event will be retained in Shillong.

“We are happy that together (Assam and Meghalaya) we will maintain the Olympic Spirit,” Kharshiing said.

The MSOA working president said that with the matter now filly settled the hosts states will now focus on how to hold a multi sporting event.

Earlier, the state of Meghalaya had threatened to withdraw as co-hosts of the Games when the badminton event was shifted to Guwahati from Shillong due to idequate facilities at the proposed venue.

The SAI Sports Centre at Shillong’s North East Hill University, which is a multipurpose indoor stadium, was reportedly found not suitable by the Badminton Association of India officials owing to poor lighting and lack of wooden flooring for the warm-up courts.

There were also reports that tiol badminton coach Pullela Gopichand was to fly to Shillong to inspect the venue at Shillong sometime next week.

Kharshiing could not confirm if Gopichand’s visit was still on.

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