By: John F Kharshiing,
Working President, Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA)
Every city that has hosted a large sporting event faces the same question the morning after the closing ceremony: what happens to all of it now? The world is full of answers nobody wanted, from Olympic venues overgrown with weeds in Athens and Rio to stadiums in smaller Indian cities that host one tournament and then remain locked for years. Stadiums in smaller Indian cities sometimes host one tournament and then remain locked for years, too expensive to maintain and too far from where young people actually train.
Meghalaya will host the 39th National Games in 2027. The State won the right to host the Games in competition with much larger states, including Chhattisgarh and Assam, and the scale of preparation is considerable. An integrated multipurpose indoor hall at the JN Sports Complex in Shillong has already opened at a reported cost of over ₹132 crore. The Umsawli Sports Complex and the PA Sangma Sports Complex in Tura are under construction. The Mawkhanu Football Stadium, which is planned to accommodate 40,000 spectators, is also expected to become the largest dedicated football stadium in the North East.
The Union Sports Ministry has also announced a ₹150 crore high-altitude training centre. During a review of preparations in May, the Union Sports Minister praised the state for executing projects on time. That is welcome. But for those of us who coach, the real test is not 2027. It is 2030 and beyond.
There are encouraging signs in how the legacy is being thought about. The new indoor hall is expected to house a High-Performance Sports Science Centre offering services in biomechanics, performance analytics, sports medicine, nutrition and sports psychology. This is what separates a building from a training system. A talented sprinter from Jowai does not need a grander stadium; she needs a physiotherapist, a nutrition plan and a coach who can read her split times. Sports science is where small states can punch above their weight.
The decision to house visitors in standardised homestays rather than a single Games Village is another sensible choice. The homestays can continue serving tourists after the Games, an approach the Chief Minister has championed. He has described the National Games as a beginning rather than an end, presenting them as part of a broader effort to build a lasting sports culture. That is the right ambition, and it must be translated into lasting action.
Meghalaya has a stronger sporting foundation than many realise. Our football tradition runs deep; Shillong has produced national-level players and attracted passionate crowds for generations. Archery is deeply rooted in the region’s cultural traditions. We also have high-altitude terrain, an advantage that athletes elsewhere pay to access for training. What we have lacked are structured pathways: school leagues, district academies, coaching certification programmes and competitions frequent enough to identify talent early. However, to streamline talent identification and provide structured training, Meghalaya launched the STAR (Sports Talent Identification, Development and Realisation) Program which scientifically tests and shortlists athletes for high-performance support.
So here is a coach’s wish list for the legacy. Keep the venues open and affordable for clubs and schools, rather than reserving them only for major events. Fund coaches, not just concrete. Establish an annual calendar of district and state competitions. Measure success not by the medals won in 2027, welcome as they may be, but by how many young people are training seriously five years later.
The Games will last a few weeks. The stadiums will stand for fifty years. How we use these facilities in the years that follow will determine whether 2027 is remembered merely as an event or as a turning point. On present evidence, there is reason to hope that 2027 will become a genuine turning point far beyond our imagination.
