Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, along with Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, co-chaired the 2nd High-Level Task Force Meeting on the Promotion of Sports in the North Eastern Region today via video conferencing. The meeting was also attended virtually by Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse; the Minister of Sports, Mizoram; Chief Secretaries of Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram; Commissioners; and senior officials from the North Eastern Council, DoNER, and state sports departments.
The discussions focused on strengthening the sports ecosystem in the North Eastern Region, covering infrastructure development, coaching, talent identification, competition exposure, events, sports science, funding, monitoring, and management, with active participation from both public and private sectors.
Union Minister Scindia highlighted the need for a focused and practical approach to enhance sports in the Northeast. He stressed that success depends more on soft skills like coaching and talent scouting than on infrastructure alone. He called for committed coaches, robust grassroots talent identification, and the establishment of local leagues and academies to nurture young athletes.
Raksha Nikhil Khadse reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting sports development in the region. She emphasized providing young athletes with proper infrastructure, training, and exposure to help them excel at national and international levels.
Governor Bhalla appreciated the vision of the ministers and noted that these initiatives would strengthen sports in the Northeast by prioritizing training, talent development, and local leagues. He also urged each state to leverage its unique strengths and commended the Central Government’s ongoing efforts to promote sports infrastructure and nurture talent across the region.
