IMPHAL, March 9: The state government has set up a Sports and Youth Policy committee recently with the Chief Minister in the helm as the Chairman.
The first scheduled meeting of the committee will be held in this current month to chalk out short and long term policies aimed at benefitting sport persons of the State according to Parliamentary Secretary of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mairenbam Prithviraj today.
He was giving his presidential address at a felicitation ceremony of paddlers at the recently concluded 23rd National Canoe Sprint Championship 2012-2013 held at Komlakhong.
At the function organized by the All Manipur Canoeing and Kayaking Association at the Thangmeiband Hijam Leikai residence of the association’s President Jyotin Waikhom, MLA Prithviraj further mentioned that Manipuris are good at contact sports and that this has been acknowledged by the Union Ministry of Sports as a potential powerhouse of sports. There are plans from the Union to develop the sports sector and the national sports policy includes Manipur in the apex, he mentioned.
Stating that water sports in Manipur had a late start, he said that athletes of the state have adapted wonderfully to the sport within a short a span of time. To further develop it requires a committed group of people with a common goal, he said giving voice to his optimism that the State can expect to produce international competing players to contest in the topmost level in the arena.
The government has constituted the sports and youth policy committee with the MLA as the working chairman and the policies to be enacted will be inclined to providing sports quotas, achievements reflecting on the promotional ladder and also to plug the migration of Manipuri athletes from representing other states.
He also announced that the Takmu Water Sports complex will be inaugurated by August of this year.
The function was attended by Works minister Kh Ratankumar as the Chief guest and T Mangibabu, MLA of Thanga constituency , Jyotin Waikhom President of AMCKA as the guests of honor. Kh Ratankumar congratulated the sportspersons for their achievement in the recently concluded canoe sprint championship.
He stated that the government is ready to aid sport persons in any manner possible. The athletes should always try to better their capabilities and the coaches need to guide them in the right direction, he said.
Areas as Thoubal and Imphal East need to be further developed for water sports and the players should be given better training and equipments, he said. The minister appealed that the different sport clubs should unite as multiple clubs in one discipline sometimes confuse the players. He concluded on the note that the sub-junior canoeist had performed excellently and will fetch international medals when they are eligible for the senior category.
The meritorious players ,coaches and supporters of the canoe sprint competition were felicitated by the dignitaries.