Sports encourages a sense of belonging and identity,
bringing people together in our fragmented society and this is what we are
hoping from the 12th South Asian Games to be hosted jointly by the beautiful
cities of Guwahati and Shillong from 5th February 2016.
Assam and Meghalaya are ready to host the Games with open
arms and enthusiasm. With just eight days to go for the Games, everything seems
ready, prepared and on the right place for the biggest ever sporting spectacle
in North East India. Let’s at least hope this is the case.
The South Asian Games to be conducted from February 5-16,
2016, is the regional Games of the Olympic Council of Asia. Hosted first by
Nepal in 1984, the sporting event takes place every alternate year among the
athletes of the South Asian countries.
Athletes from eight member countries - Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be
participating in this year’s mega sporting event. Altogether 23 sports
disciplines of the Games will be conducted in 26 venues across the cities of
Guwahati and Shillong. Around 4500 athletes and sports officials from the eight
countries are going to participate in the sports event.
The initiating steps for the Games have been undertaken in a
timely and positive manner. The Logo and Mascot of the Games were unveiled in
December, 2015. The Logo has eight petals which represent the countries
participating in the Games while the name of the Mascot is Tikhor, who is the
Brand Ambassador of the Games. On 21st and 22nd January ‘Run for Northeast’ was
held in Shillong and Guwahati after the torch of the game reached the two
cities. The theme song of Games "Ei Prithibi Ek Krirangan", written
by late Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, was also launched amid thunderous applause in
Guwahati.
With the SAG taking place in India, let’s hope that the
spirit of sports will prevail over petty political issues with neighbouring
countries. India is already into a tensed relation with Pakistan over the
Pathankot Airbase terrorist attack that took place on 2nd January. The host
state Assam is also fighting the issue of illegal immigration from neighbouring
country Bangladesh. Towards the south Tamil Nadu shares a tensed relation with
the country of Sri Lanka over sub-regional, caste issues and fisheries crisis
and our relationship with Nepal are at all time low. However, with the 12th
South Asian Games all these countries will come together and play for spreading
peace and will compete to win hearts.
We often have seen that games bring about infrastructure
development; Assam witnessed huge infrastructural development in the form of
venues, hospitality areas, roads repaired and so on during the 33rd National
Games held in the state in 2007. In the same way, huge arrangements have been
made for conducting the SAG both in Assam and in Meghalaya. Altogether 17
venues in Guwahati and 9 venues in Shillong have been either refurbished or
built to carry out the various sporting events.
Around 4500 athletes will participate in altogether 23
disciplines including the likes of judo, handball, taekwondo, kabaddi, wushu,
kho-khoo which otherwise does not get much focus. Mega sporting events are
ideal platforms for athletes who are interested in sports other than the big
tickets games of cricket, football, tennis and badminton.
Both the beautiful North-eastern states of Assam and
Meghalaya have geared up to host the biggest sporting event of South Asia. For
me, it will not matter who wins and how many medals are won by India, what
really matters is that one of the biggest games of the South Asian region is
going to be conducted in Assam and Meghalaya. I pray and hope that only
sporting spirit triumphs from the games.
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