Aizawl, Sep 15 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Raksha Khadse reviewed the sports ecosystem in Mizoram during her visit to Aizawl, with a focus on strengthening sports infrastructure, supporting athletes and creating greater opportunities for sporting talent from the Northeast to build a stronger sporting culture and expand opportunities for young Indians.
During her visit, MoS Khadse was welcomed by Pu Lalnghinglova Hmar, Minister of State for Sports & Youth Services, Government of Mizoram, who interacted with her and discussed measures to further strengthen the sporting ecosystem in the State. The interaction focused on Centre-State coordination, development of sports infrastructure, nurturing sporting talent and creating greater opportunities for young athletes from Mizoram and the wider Northeast.
MoS Khadse subsequently visited the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Aizawl, where she reviewed the available sports infrastructure and interacted with athletes, coaches and support staff. Shivam Yadav, Assistant Director, SAI, was also present during the visit.
During her interaction with athletes, MoS Khadse heard about their training, competitive experiences and aspirations and appreciated their dedication towards sporting excellence. She emphasised the importance of providing young sportspersons from the Northeast with quality coaching, scientific support, rehabilitation, nutrition, competition exposure and opportunities to progress to the national and international level.
SAI has a significant presence in the Northeast, supporting the development of sporting talent and implementation of sports promotional programmes in the region. Khadse emphasised that such institutional support, complemented by initiatives under the Khelo India Scheme, is helping create wider pathways for young athletes to progress from grassroots participation towards competitive sport.
The Government is also continuing to strengthen sports infrastructure in Mizoram. The Khelo India infrastructure project for laying a synthetic hockey turf and providing lighting at the SAI Training Centre, Aizawl, is an important step towards strengthening hockey facilities in the State.
Khadse noted that Mizoram has demonstrated the immense sporting potential of the Northeast, particularly in football and hockey. The achievements of athletes from the State underline the importance of nurturing talent through sustained institutional support and creating opportunities closer to where young athletes live and train.
Lalremsiami Hmarzote is a notable example of this potential. She became Mizoram’s first female Olympian and first Asian Games medallist, having trained at the SAI academy in Thenzawl before progressing to the national level. She has also been selected for the Arjuna Award 2025, becoming the first sportsperson from Mizoram to receive the honour.
MoS Khadse emphasised that the Government’s approach is to build a complete athlete development ecosystem, where infrastructure is complemented by quality coaching, sports science, rehabilitation, nutrition and regular competition exposure. She highlighted the role of Khelo India in expanding sporting opportunities and nurturing talent from the grassroots.
The vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed greater emphasis on building a sporting culture across the country, identifying talent at the grassroots and providing young athletes with structured pathways to excellence. MoS Khadse reiterated that the Northeast, with its strong sporting culture and abundant talent, has an important role to play in India’s sporting journey.
She said that strengthening facilities closer to athletes, expanding opportunities for young talent and ensuring effective coordination between the Union and State Governments will be important in enabling more sportspersons from Mizoram and the wider Northeast to reach the national and international stage.
The visit reaffirmed MoS Khadse’s focus on strengthening sports opportunities for the youth of the Northeast and the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and SAI’s continued efforts to build a stronger, more accessible and athlete-centric sporting ecosystem in the region.
–IANS
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