SHILLONG — The eight-member delegation, led by Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla, is in Japan to study how a major multi-sport event is organised.
The state is preparing to host the 39th National Games in 2027, and the trip is being presented as essential preparation. Actual athletes, who might have benefited from seeing the standard they are expected to meet, were not part of the learning exercise.
The team has toured venues for boxing, basketball, table tennis, shooting, archery, athletics and swimming, and has conferred with technical officials and administrators. Notes will be taken. Recommendations will be drafted.
The group includes the minister, Director of Sports and Youth Affairs A.L. Nongbri, Meghalaya State Olympic Association Working President John F. Kharshiing, General Secretary Finely L. Pariat, a senior project engineer, a departmental consultant and other officials.
Meghalaya therefore has no competitor on the field at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. It does have a full official party walking the venues, examining the systems and preparing to report how the continent stages a Games without them.
The athletes stayed home. The officials went to observe excellence on their behalf.
The cost of this educational tour has not been disclosed. Even the budget, it seems, was not invited.
