Shillong, Jan 23: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has sought the support of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to secure the hosting rights for the National Games 2027. Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Sangma expressed optimism following his discussions with Shah, who assured full support for the endeavour.

“We have pitched our intent to host the National Games in 2027, and during my meeting with the Home Minister, he responded positively,” the Chief Minister said.

Sangma informed that the Union Minister acknowledged that the Northeast deserves to host the event, with the last one being held in Assam in 2007 or 2008. “We urged him to lend his support by making recommendations to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) when required,” the Chief Minister added.

Sangma revealed that he had recently met with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chairperson to deliberate on Meghalaya’s bid to host the prestigious event.

Highlighting Meghalaya's commitment to sports development, Sangma disclosed that the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government has invested over ₹1,000 crore in sports infrastructure since 2018.

“Less than ₹100 crore was sanctioned for sports infrastructure projects before our government took over. In contrast, we have spent over ₹1,000 crore in the last seven years,” he said.

The investments include ₹2 crore annually for state sports associations, ₹50 crore annually for hosting sports events and creating legacy infrastructure, and ₹8 crore as cash incentives.

Additionally, ₹6 crore has been disbursed to over 3,500 athletes and coaches under the Cash Awards Scheme, while ₹2.5 crore was distributed to nearly 350 athletes through the Sports Scholarship Scheme.

Under the government’s tenure, Meghalaya has developed over 300 sports facilities, hosted 10 national and international events since 2022, and created over 2,500 jobs annually through these initiatives, he informed.

Looking ahead, Sangma announced ambitious projects, including a 40,000-capacity football stadium at Mawkhanu, costing over ₹400 crore, slated for completion by 2028.

“Another significant development is the Mawdiangdiang Sports Complex, which will house an aquatics centre and lawn tennis complex, with a budget of ₹150 crore,” he said.

The Chief Minister emphasised the government’s focus on talent development, with over 24,500 participants engaged in talent identification programmes—a significant leap compared to previous years, which saw no such initiatives funded by the state.