CM seeks sports infrastructure boost

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, Sept 13: Aruchal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday called for boosting adventure sports and an integrated approach to augment sports infrastructure in the state.

During a meeting with Union Minister of State (Independent) for Sports and Youth Affairs, Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore at Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi, Khandu emphasised the need of a multi sports stadium in Itagar and residential academy in the state considering the huge untapped potential and tural talent for sports activities amongst the locals, an official report informed here today.

“Multi sports stadium and residential academy, if considered by the ministry, will change the face of sports in the state,” Khandu said.

The union minister endorsed the need to encourage adventure sports in the state given the picturesque locales and the experience that the landscape has to offer. He asked the state government to provide proposals for adventure sports under the schemes of the ministry and DoNER.

Assuring all possible support, Rathore asked the state government to formulate integrated projects for consideration of the ministry. He also suggested a visit by state officials to Gopichand’s academy in Hyderabad, which has integrated complex housing both training/sports area and residential facility for the players.

Union Sports Secretary Injeti Srinivas said that ‘Khelo India’ scheme offers ample scope for setting up of sports infrastructure in the state.

“The ministry considers a maximum of two projects in a single location of Rs 8-crore each,” he said and advised the state government to propose new projects accordingly.

Agreeing to the chief minister’s request for SAI’s ‘Rural hunt’ to tap the unexplored sports potential in the state, the ministry suggested exploring the possibility of gap funding for five ongoing stadiums (under the Centre’s erstwhile special plan assistance) through DoNER under its non-lapsable pool.

Rathore, also the union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, responded to Khandu’s request for inclusion of Singpho dialect in AIR broadcast from Itagar and suggested availing the scheme of the I&B ministry’s community radio stations (CRS) for broadening the outreach in local dialect.

“The Ministry will be funding 90% of the cost of setting up of CRS in the North East,” Rathore said.