PM's Olympic Task Force holds Zol Level conference in Guwahati

By our Sports Reporter
GUWAHATI, May 6: Prime Minister’s Olympic Task Force Zol Level Conference was held at the Assam Administrative Staff College in the city today. More than 170 delegates from different Northeast states, former players and sports administrators, took part in the day long programme.
After the end of the Rio Olympics, where India won just two medals, Prime Minister rendra Modi had announced the setting up of a task force which will help plan for the effective participation of Indian sportspersons in the next three Olympics -2020, 2024 and 2028.
Iugurating the conference the Chief Secretary of Assam V K Pipersenia today said that it was a very good initiative taken by Sports Ministry under the leadership of Prime Minister.  “Northeast region has enough talent in sports but the region was not able to transform those talents to podium finishers in Intertiol events on regular basis. This type of initiatives will help us to reach that goal as now some concrete plans will come up from which our athletes will be highly benefitted,” he said.
The Chief Secretary also added: “We spend good amount to create infrastructures but it is unfortute that we don’t give similar attention when it comes to train our young and budding talents. We need to change this attitude and should spend more money to train our athletes.”
Meanwhile representatives of different Northeast states today suggested that the region needs more sports infrastructures along with sufficient funds, qualified coaches and scientific training to produce more number of intertiol stars from the region.
Speakers of the different Northeast states echoed almost similar voices, “We have talent. But until and unless we provide them adequate facilities which included proper infrastructure, trained coaches, modern equipment and scientific training back up, it is not possible to produce intertiol level medal winners on regular basis. To arrange all those things we also need huge fund.”
Om Pathak, one of the member of Task Force, also attended today’s meeting. He said that the role of the task force is to collect suggestions from the different quarters and submit it to the concern authority which will prepare the road map for the next three Olympics. Pathak found very happy on the outcome of the conference. All the top officials of Sports and Youth Welfare which included Ajay Tiwari, Sanjib Gohain Baruah and Pabitra Ram Khound, attended the conference along with former Secretary of Sports and Youth Welfare Swapnil Barua, Subhash Basumatari, Director, SAI, former athlete Tayabun Nesca and many others attended the conference.