Rs 2,000 crore invested in creating sports infrastructure; 50 artificial football turfs to be ready by 2027: CM
Shillong, July 9: Chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday unveiled the trophies of 134th Durand Cup for which Meghalaya is one of the host states. About eight matches of the prestigious tournament organised by the armed forces will be played in Shillong.
The occasion was also attended by state sports minister Shakliar Warjri, Air Marshal Surat Singh, GOC 101 Area Lt Gen Sanjay Malik, sports & youth affairs director DD Shira, and members of Meghalaya State Olympic Association and Meghalaya Football Association.
The chief minister and other dignitaries also flagged off the Trophy Convoy of the tournament, which will be kicked off on July 26.
In his address, the chief minister expressed happiness and pride in being able to host the Durand Cup in the state for the second consecutive year and thanked the armed forces for selecting Shillong as one of the venues.
“We had a very successful season of Durand Cup last year and this has motivated us to host better this year with more participation of local teams,” he said.
Terming Durand Cup a special tournament as it is a tribute and connection towards the armed forces, Sangma expressed his gratitude and pride on the services of the armed forces during the Operation Sindoor.
He underscored his government’s emphasis on sports and youth affairs, saying, “We believe that sports play a very important role in shaping the youth and this thought process had driven the strategy and the policy and actions of our government.”
Outlining the various government programmes to develop sports and athletes, he gave an overview of the different sports infrastructures being developed across the state.
He informed that around Rs 2,000 crore is being invested in developing and creating the sports infrastructure, including around 50 artificial football turfs to be made ready across the state by 2027.
The new infrastructure will give further impetus to the state’s own football talents, he said.
The government has also focussed on organising leagues at different levels to develop a football culture in the state, he added.
Earlier, GOC 101 Area Lt Gen Sanjay Malik informed that Shillong will host one of the quarter final matches.
Besides, if one of the local teams qualify for the semi-finals, the match will be hosted in Shillong, he added.
Besides Lajong FC, Rangdajied FC will also compete in the tournament this year.
