Sports facilities for PwDs in the pipeline, says YAS
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, February 12 2026: Plans are underway to upgrade sports facilities for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs)/para athletes by providing specialised equipment, trained coaches and providing pathways for participation from grassroots to elite levels, said N Praveen Singh, IAS, Secretary, Youth Affairs & Sports (YAS) .

He made the statement at a one-day consultative meeting on the topic, "The Inclusion of Disability Sports in the Manipur State Sports Policy" organised today at Sangai Hall of Hotel Imphal.

Though the number of PwDs is more than 1.5 lakh in Manipur, disability/para sports are significantly underdeveloped in the State.

The consultative meeting was conducted to discuss ways to uplift and make provisions for para sports in Manipur State Sports Policy.

Speaking as the chief guest, N Praveen Singh highlighted the importance of disability sports while adding that sports must be inclusive, accessible and embedded in everyday life if Manipur has to sustain its identity as a sports powerhouse.

Highlighting sports as a vital component of education, the chief guest stressed the need to introduce structured sports training from an early age to nurture talent and revive Manipur's rich sporting legacy.

He called for the formulation of a comprehensive sports policy in alignment with the National Sports Policy 2025 encompassing the identification of differently abled children in sports.

This will require greater convergence among key departments including Education, Social Welfare, and YAS .

Speaking about upgradation of sports facilities for PwDs, he said pathways will be carefully crafted for differently abled children/persons in sports from the grassroot level all the way to the Olympics.

Speaking as the guest of honour, C Dhandapani, Regional Director, Sports Authority of India (SAI)-NERC, Imphal emphasized the need for a dedicated policy framework for disability sports while highlighting some practices adopted in States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu and National initiatives under the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 .

Inclusion of disability sports in the State policy would lead to institutional support, clear operational guidelines, monitoring systems and financial backing.

Referring to the existing National systems under SAI, including dedicated para athlete support wings and nodal centres, C Dhandapani noted that similar models could be adapted in Manipur as well.

Concluding his speech, he stated that while Manipur is already recognized as a sports powerhouse, the integration of para sports into the State policy would enable the State to emerge as a leading hub for para sports as well.

As a part of the programme, the Department of YAS presented an overview of disability sports in the State, policy frameworks, financial and institutional support systems with emphasis on the Sports Code.

Officials from SAI gave a presentation on funding avenues, convergence and partnership strategies to strengthen the disability sports in the State.

The programme also featured stakeholder inputs and an open discussion session.

The meeting was organized by the Office of the State Commissioner for PwDs, Manipur in collaboration with dedicated NGOs working in the field in consultation with the Department of Youth Affairs & Sports.

Other notable dignitaries present include W Birahari Singh, State Commissioner for PwDs; Ng Uttam Singh, MCS, Joint Secretary (TA & Hills); Dr M Akshay Kumar, president, Special Olympic Association and Dr Mayengbam Veto Singh, MCS, Director (YAS) .

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