‘We will soon start the Northeast Games’

The inaugural edition of Khelo India Tribal Games currently underway in Raipur has so far been highly successful with numerous athletes coming from the remotest parts of the country and grabbing the limelight with impressive performances.
It’s the seventh such Khelo India event being held in the country after Youth Games, University Games, Para Games, Winter Games, Beach Games and Water Sports Festival. And the government is planning to add one more to the list.
“Earlier, we used to conduct six games. Now, the sports minister has suggested that sports should reach areas that were geographically less accessible to athletes. We will thus soon start the Northeast Games as well,” said Mayank Srivastava, SAI deputy director general Khelo India Division, during an interaction with TOI. “Additionally, sports should reach communities that have found it difficult to enter the mainstream sporting arena,” he added.
Considering how the athletes from the region have performed so far, this is certainly great news. They have thumped their authority especially in weightlifting. Both Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram won eight medals, while Assam grabbed nine. Even in swimming, athletes from Assam did well, winning a total of nine medals.
While these athletes will look to continue their strong showing in the coming days, they will also hope to catch the attention of talent scouts and make it to training academies.

“We have a Khelo India Talent Identification and Development vertical. Once talent is spotted, a basic assessment is conducted. Those who are selected are then admitted to the National Centres of Excellence under the Sports Authority of India, where they receive training under qualified coaches,” said Srivastava.
Not only training, they are also provided with a monthly stipend.
However, despite the nail-biting competition what remains amiss at these events is that the results aren’t ratified by the international associations.
“The beginning has been made, and we will create an orderly structure. Soon, you will see a competitive level emerge,” added the official. “Also, the international sporting structure is not very straightforward, it is quite complex. International federations consider many factors before granting recognition to a competition and accepting its results for official records.”
Despite this being a long-term aim, Srivastava made it quite clear that it will not be a major criterion in the coming days.
“That is not an impediment, because our focus is on grassroots development. First, the basics must be put in place. Athletes need exposure and clear pathways and opportunities, and that is what we are providing,” he added.