A CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Minister Sports & Youth Affairs Mama Natung today felicitated the state contingents for Khelo India Youth Games 2021 (KIYG) to be held at Haryana next month and the winners of recently concluded North East regional sports week 2022 held at Imphal, Manipur.
The felicitation programme was organized by the Directorate of Sports at the official residence of Natung at Senkiview near here and attended by Secretary Sports Anirudh Singh, Director of Sports Tadar Apa and the representatives of various sports disciplines.
Addressing the athletes, Natung believed that the athletes representing the state in the ensuing KIYG will yet again shine and bring back medals for the state. He wished the contingents for glory, thereby making the people of the state proud.
Natung promised to provide better facilities to motivate the players through his personal end for the KIYG. Moreover, the state government has already provided sufficient funds for the athletes through the concerned department.
"It will be seriously looked into that no single players come across any kind of problems during the KIYG. Moreover, winning in national games will secure the dream of the state to represent in the Olympics," he said.
Appreciating the medalists of the North East regional sports week held at Imphal, Natung while acknowledging the Manipur government for the invitation to participate in the sports week also said that it is now normal that state athletes are performing to the highest level at every sports event.
However, he advised the athletes to continue the spirit of winning and also create awareness of the Drugs Choro Khel Mein Joro campaign initiated by him so that more youths can join sports & games.
Meanwhile, Assistant Director Sports Karbia Dodum, who is also the Mission Director of Khelo India Games, said that 42 members will be taking part in the KIYG-2021, among which there are 32 athletes, 9 officials and 1 Chef de Mission (CDM).
He said that Arunachal Pradesh has qualified in five sports disciplines, Athletics, Archery, Boxing, Judo and Weight lifting. All the athletes for the events have been directly nominated by the National Sports Federation (NSF) based on the performance and ranking of athletes in national level competitions.
"We have already commenced a 21-day intensive coaching camp at Sangey lhaden Sports Academy (SLSA) from May 13. Also, the entire athletes and officials have been registered in the National Sports Repository System (NSRS) game portal," he said, adding that this will be the first time in the state that the department will provide a one way flight facility to the contingents.
He also informed that the KIYG-2021 could not be held in the same year due to various issues and specifically the Covid pandemic. And the KIYG-2022 is most likely to be held in the month of November this year.
The KIYG-2021 will be held at Panchkula, Haryana from June 4 to 13 next month for the age group of U-18 (Boys & Girls).
Dodum also informed that the athletes from the state won 25 medals in three different disciplines in the recently concluded weeklong North East regional sports week at Imphal.
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