NEC awards NE Olympians ; MOA pitches for sports varsity in State
Source: The Sangai Express / PTI

Imphal/Guwahati, September 14 2012: Even as the Union Minister of Department of North East Region (DONER) Pawan Singh Ghatowar on Friday announced cash award to London Olympic Games participants from the North East, Manipur Olympic Association president Bijoy Koijam asserted that in case there is plan to set up Sports University in the country Manipur is the most suitable and deserving candidate for such a facility.

Ahead of the DoNER Minister's two day official visit to Manipur, the MOA chief contended that the Sports University should be set up in Manipur as a recognition and to honour the achievements of sports-persons of Manipur.

He also said that the proposal on the matter would be placed before the Doner Minister during his visit.

The Union Minister on Friday announced a cash award of Rs 40 lakh for Olympic bronze-medallist boxer MC Mary Kom and Rs five lakh each to all London Games participants from the North East.

"The awards are in acknowledgement of the dedication and hard work put in by the sports persons and we hope that this kind of awards and acknowledgements help in boosting the morale of the sportspersons", Ghatowar said in a statement.

Ghatowar will visit Manipur from September 15 to 17 to review NEC and DONER funded projects in Manipur, visit land custom station in Moreh, as well as inaugurate a seminar on Policies and Problems of Sports in the North East being organised by Manipur Olympic Association at the Palace Compound auditorium of Manipur Film Development Corporation.

The Olympic Games participants from North East would also be felicitated by the minister during his visit to Manipur.

Besides Chief Minister Okram ibobi Singh and his ministerial colleagues, the seminar cum felicitation programme is likely to be attended by the NEC Secretary UK Sangma and other officials of NEC and DoNER.

Justifying his stand on the demand for the sports University, Bijoy Koijam pointed out that in addition to Manipuri sportspersons continuously bringing laurels to the country, the National sports scenario is being dominated by Manipuris to such an extent that most of the States have some sportspersons from Manipur in their squad.

even the Services sports Control Board, that reigned supreme at the National Games have a number of Manipuri sportspersons thereby proving without any doubt talent and calibre of sportspersons from the State, he asserted.

While noting that Assam Government is also lobbying with the Central Government for establishment of the Sports University in that State, the MOA president noted with delight that NEC is keen to develop sports movement in the region.

The former legislator also pledged to judiciously implement any sports development programme proposed or sanctioned by the NEC in Manipur.

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