Guwahati: Guwahati bagged the best team award in the Assam Youth Olympics (AYO) which concluded in the city today. Guwahati altogether bagged 77 gold, 83 silver and 78 bronze on way to finish at the top of the medal tally. Sivasagar, Jorhat and Dibrugarh came second, third and fourth respectively.
The closing function of the Assam Youth Olympics was held at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Auditorium in the city which was attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as the Chief Guest and Union Minister for Ports, Shipping etc Sarbananda Sonowal as the Guest of Honour.
Guwahati received cash Rs 1 lakh for becoming best team. Apart from this, there were awards for best male and female athletes also. The best female athlete award was jointly awarded to swimmer Jahnabi Kashyp and gymnast Upasa Talukdar. While Jahnabi bagged five gold medals in the competition, Upasa collected four gold. Both received a purse of Rs 25,000 each. On the other hand Bihonjyoti Laskar of Morigaon football team collected the best male athlete award along with Rs 25,000.
Addressing the gathering in the function Himanta Biswa Sarma said, Assam Youth Olympics, held for the first time in the state, has become a powerful podium for the athletes from various districts of the state to show their sporting acumen and prepare themselves for the national and international events.
Sarma also said the new Sports Policy of Assam will be made more attractive and accommodative for the promotion of sports and sports personnel in the state.
He added: "MP Sports Competition to be organized in the state to unearth sports talents in the state."
The Chief Minister further said that as a government's gesture for the promotion of sports, posts will be reserved in all government jobs for sports personnel and all the 126 stadia being built across 126 constituencies in Assam will also be working as training centres to promote area specific games in Assam.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also spoke on the occasion. In his brief speech Sarbananda said, "We were trying to host this event once the present committee took the charge of the Assam Olympic Association. The cooperation of the State Government made our job easy."
Revenue Minister Jogen Mohan, MLAs Rupjyoti Kurmi and Hemanga Thakuria, General Secretary of the Assam Olympic Association Lakhya Konwar, Mayor of GMC Mrigen Sarania, Arjuna awardees Monalisa Baruah Mehta and Kamalesh Mehta, Asiad medalist Joydeep Das, footballer Allen Deuri, boxer Ankushita Boro and hosts of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
It should be mentioned that, although sevaral high profile guests were present at the function, organizers failed to conduct the program properly and the program lost its rhythm in many occasions.
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