Meghalaya Sports Policy takes center stage in Education Commission meeting

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 20, 2023

In a significant development on December 20, the Meghalaya Education Commission invited John F Kharshiing, Working President of the Meghalaya State Olympics Association (MSOA), to discuss the crucial integrating sports with education.

The meeting, held at the DERT Annexure Conference Hall in Shillong, aimed to gather insights from Kharshiing on enhancing collaboration between education and sports, especially to encourage widespread participation of children from a young age.

During the session, Kharshiing presented a comprehensive 70-page report titled “Education and Sports: A Balanced Approach,” emphasizing the vital role sports play in fostering physical, mental, and interpersonal development. He also shed light on key points from the Meghalaya Sports Policy 2019 and Meghalaya Youth Policy 2021, designed to benefit athletes and youth in the region.

Following the presentation, Kharshiing handed over a copy of the report and the Meghalaya Sports Policy 2019 to Professor S M Sungoh, Chairperson of the Meghalaya Education Commission and Head of the Education department at the North Eastern Hill University, in the presence of other commission members.

In response to the insights shared, Kharshiing proposed several actionable steps for the commission’s consideration. These steps included infrastructure mapping, mass participation initiatives, recruitment of sports coaches and physical education teachers for 15,000 schools in Meghalaya, and the involvement of sports specialists and professionals. Other proposals ranged from establishing sports schools in every district to introducing sports marks, job reservations for medal winners, and quarterly review meetings.

Prof SM Sungoh assured that the commission would thoroughly examine the suggestions. The outcomes of this examination will be considered for recommendation to the state government, marking a potential milestone in the integration of sports and education in Meghalaya.