Skip to content Skip to navigation

Sports varsity brings new hopes for NE

By AT News |
NEC secretary Ameising Luikham
NEC secretary Ameising Luikham

North East is full of sports talents. But the talents are lying unexplored to a great extent. The proposed sports varsity in Manipur would go a long way to bridge the gap. It would be a huge boost to the field of north east sports.

This was more or less of what speakers after speakers said at a seminar in Imphal on Saturday.  Organized jointly by Indian Chamber of Commerce, North Eastern Council, Department of Youth Affairs and Sports,  the North East Sports Conclave focused on infrastructure development, training, challenges and opportunities . 

 ICC Regional Director Ishantor Sobhapandit urged the industry to invest on sports and sportsperson and the national Sports University should bring investment in terms of manufacturing sports goods and utilities. In his keynote address sports director N Ashok Kumar said there has been clamor for sports as subject in school curriculum and it is a welcome move to have a National Sports University in the state.

Former hockey captain Bharat Chetri said the North East is the power house of sports map and that the region should have comprehensive region focused sports policy that would address issues like fixed remuneration to the athletes who represent their state and country in various events.

NEC secretary Ameising Luikham said the scope and optimize opportunities that sports offer so that the talented youth of the region should be explored to take up sports as an alternative career option. 

Manipur Parliamentary Secretary Mairenbam Prithviraj Singh laid stress on taking up sports by youths to physically and mentally fit to build a healthy and productive nation and expressed his gratitude to Govt. of India’s decision to establish National Sports University in Imphal.

 In his address Chief Guest minister Irengbam Hemochandra Singh who is President of Manipur Olympic Association thanked the Centre for allocating Rs 100 crores budget for the National Sports University in Manipur which is indeed recognition of Manipur sporting power house  for which the government is availing required acres of land.

 The Sports Session was chaired by Dr. R. K. Nimai who discussed elaborately discussed and spoke on the draft bill of the National Sports University. Dr. R K Dinesh Singh outlined on the need of architectural funding for sports infrastructure, training and  through private public partnership and industry should invest in sports and sportsperson from their annual CSR funds.

The focus of the session was the powerpoint presentation on NEC’s perspective on National Sports University in Manipur by Gautam Chintey. Tsering Wangey, President, Arunachal Mountaineering & Adventure Sports Association (AMASA). spoke on Aspects of Adventure Sports and Mountaineering Sports University in Manipur, Dhronacharya Awardee Coach  L. Ibomcha Singh Trustee/Advisor Mary Kom Boxing Foundation  spoke Coaching as Career Option in Sports in North East India and politics that is killing the spirit of sports.

Bale Thakel, CEO Ya Re Asia, Founder and Owner FC Imphal (Football) spoke on  Investment Opportunities in Sports: Football talent in small towns of North East, . L Somi Roy

Manager Organizer of Polo spoke on International Dimensions of  Polo-the game that originated in Manipur,  Sunil Elangbam, Secretary, Manipur Olympic Association (MOA) and Prof. (Dr.) K Sarat Chandra Singh  President, Manipur Polo Association spoke on the Role of Club, Boards, Associations and Federations to facilitate Sporting Talents and Expectations from Sports University in Imphal. The conclave was attended by several discipline sports associations from across North east and few of them submitted representations and memorandums.

 

Author info

AT News's picture

Assam Times Staff. editor@assamtimes.org
  • 13738 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Youth Leaders Unite in Cachar to Champion River Governance and Community Resilience

A three-day workshop titled “Youth Leaders for Rivers: Learning Workshop” concluded today at the Cachar Club Conference Hall, bringing together young leaders from across the region to collaborate on river governance, water rights and community resilience. Organized by the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) with support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the event was held from March 24 to 26 under the Youth Basin Ambassadors (YBA) initiative. It aimed to connect youth working across the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Basin and deepen their understanding of river systems, governance challenges and community-driven solutions. Participants included...

ULFA(I) Attack on Police Camp in Assam’s Tinsukia Injures Four, Sparks Security Concerns

Tinsukia, March 22:  Suspected militants of the banned outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) (ULFA-I) launched a pre-dawn attack on an Assam Police commando camp in the Jagun area of Tinsukia district, leaving at least four security personnel injured. According to reports, the militants attacked the camp around 2 a.m., allegedly lobbing several grenades and opening fire with automatic weapons. Security forces retaliated, leading to an exchange of fire that lasted for several minutes before the attackers fled the scene. The injured personnel were later shifted to a hospital in Dibrugarh for treatment. Following the attack, Army and police units launched a joint...

WWF-India Honours Top ‘Mission Prakriti’ Schools in Assam

WWF-India, in collaboration with Samagra Shiksha Assam, felicitated five top-performing schools under the ‘Mission Prakriti’ programme for 2025–26 at a ceremony in Guwahati. The initiative promotes environmental awareness among students through themes like biodiversity, water, waste, food, and energy. In Assam, the programme covers over 4,700 schools across all districts. The award-winning schools include Natun Fatasil Town HS (Kamrup Metro), Sakai Khangia High School (Jorhat), Bishnu Jyoti MES (Sonitpur), PM Shri Jamira HS School (Hailakandi), and PM Shri Gossaigaon Girls HS School (Kokrajhar). Tinsukia district was also recognised as the best-performing district. Officials...

Assam’s Tirtha Prasad Saikia Appointed APRCEM Focal Point for Conflict and Disaster-Affected Communities

Jorhat: Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director of the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), an indigenous civil society organisation based in Jorhat, Assam, has been appointed as the Constituency Focal Point for the People Affected by Conflict and Disaster Constituency of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM). APRCEM is a regional civil society platform that brings together organisations across Asia and the Pacific to engage with intergovernmental processes on sustainable development, particularly the implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through this organisational role,...

GHADC Polls Postponed After Violence in West Garo Hills

SHILLONG, Mar 11: The Meghalaya government has postponed the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) that were scheduled to be held on April 10, 2026, following violent clashes in West Garo Hills that left two people dead. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced the decision on Wednesday, saying the state government reviewed the prevailing law-and-order situation in the Garo Hills region before deciding to defer the polls. The unrest erupted during the nomination process in Chibinang in West Garo Hills, where clashes broke out between groups supporting and opposing the participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC elections. Two persons were killed...

Meghalaya High Court Quashes ST Certificate Rule for GHADC Polls

The Meghalaya High Court has set aside a controversial notification that made possession of a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate mandatory for candidates contesting the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC). Delivering the judgment on March 10, Justice H. S. Thangkhiew ruled that the February 17, 2026 notification issued by the GHADC Executive Committee lacked legal authority and did not follow the procedure required under the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951. The court observed that the notification effectively barred non-tribal voters and candidates from participating in the council elections...

Violence Erupts in Garo Hills, Meghalaya, Amid Election Tensions

TURA, Meghalaya – March 11, 2026: Tensions surrounding the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), scheduled for April 10, have triggered violent clashes in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, leaving two people dead and several others injured. The unrest has also resulted in widespread vandalism and arson in several areas of the district. The tensions stem from a controversial notification requiring candidates contesting the council elections to possess valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate documentation. The rule has effectively prevented many non-tribal residents—particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims living in the plains belt areas such as...

International Women’s Day Observed by NEADS in Jorhat

North East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots development organisation based in Jorhat working with people’s struggles and community development initiatives, observed International Women’s Day at Chumoni Chapori village under the Jhanjimukh area in Jorhat district on Sunday, bringing together local women, community leaders and youth to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women in society. The programme was organized with the participation of women from riverine communities who shared their experiences, challenges and aspirations for greater social and economic empowerment. The event focused on raising awareness about women’s rights, gender equality and...

Assamese Poet Jiban Narah’s The Yellow Metaphor Published by Penguin

A significant milestone for literature from Northeast India has been marked with the publication of The Yellow Metaphor, a collection of poems by Assamese poet Jiban Narah, now released by Penguin Random House India. The book is a translated anthology of Narah’s poetry and is considered a rare achievement for the region. It is reportedly the first translated poetry collection by a single poet from Northeast India to be published by Penguin, and among only a handful of works in a regional Indian language to receive such recognition from the global publishing house. The Yellow Metaphor brings together 99 selected poems written over a span of 33 years, reflecting Narah’s long poetic...

Meeting Urges Tai-Ahoms to Record Taoism and Tai-Ahom as Mother Tongue in Census

Sivasagar, March 6: A meeting of organisations associated with the religious and intellectual affairs of the Tai-Ahom community was held on Thursday (March 5) at the public auditorium of Bakata Parijat Panchayat in Sivasagar district. The meeting was chaired by Jibeshwar Mohan Deva, founding principal of Tingkhang College. Several prominent personalities attended the meeting, including Manaranjan Baruah, president of the Mohan-Deodhai-Bailung Sanmilan; Vidya Phukan, president of the Mohan-Deodhai-Bailung Pandit Parishad; former president of Phra-Lung-Moung Assam Golap Gohain; secretary Pranjal Mohan; noted Tai cultural researcher Kamal Jyoti Mohan; Tai-Ahom scholar Nripen Mohan;...