HT Correspondent
ITANAGAR, July 14: A senior official from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), New Delhi, visited the Khelo India-accredited sports centre in Itanagar on Monday to evaluate the status of sports infrastructure and grassroots development in Arunachal Pradesh, according to an official statement.
Rugved Milind Thakur, IAS, Director at the PMO, was accompanied by Ananya Sharma, Assistant Director of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Office, Guwahati.
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The two officials were joined by key state-level sports authorities, including Nada Apa, Director of Sports-cum-Nodal Officer for Khelo India Schemes in Arunachal Pradesh, Satrajit Kachari, District Sports Officer (Headquarters), and Harnam Singh, High Performance Manager of the State-Level Khelo India Centre, Chimpu.
The visit was aimed at taking stock of the implementation of various Khelo India schemes in the region and gathering ground-level inputs from athletes, coaches, and administrators.
The officials sought to identify best practices, challenges, and key learnings that could inform policy and documentation under the national Khelo India programme.
In a packed schedule that reflected the Centre’s focus on inclusive sports development, the visiting delegation interacted with over 30 young athletes, senior coaches, and executive members of the Arunachal State Badminton Association (ASBA).
The engagement offered an unfiltered view into the progress and hurdles being encountered at the grassroots level of sports training and infrastructure utilisation.
Bamang Tago, Secretary General of ASBA and also the Arunachal Olympic Association, delivered a detailed presentation outlining the state’s current sporting landscape.
He spoke candidly about issues facing the implementation of centrally funded projects, particularly the misallocation of locations for multipurpose halls sanctioned under the Khelo India scheme.
Tago noted that many of these halls—funded by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to the tune of ₹8 crore each—have been constructed at sites located far from the respective district headquarters, making them inaccessible to large sections of local athletes and posing challenges in terms of maintenance and utilisation.
The PMO official reportedly took note of these concerns and assured that such on-ground feedback would be factored into future planning.
The delegation also lauded the presentation of a Five-Year Action Plan prepared by ASBA, which outlines strategic goals aimed at strengthening the sports ecosystem in the state.
The roadmap includes a mission aligned with the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme, aimed at nurturing medal-worthy talent from the Northeast.
The visit, which marked the PMO Director’s first to the Itanagar centre, was seen as a significant recognition of the region’s sporting potential and ongoing developmental efforts.
Officials from the state sports department expressed appreciation for the Centre’s outreach, noting that such visits foster accountability, responsiveness, and a deeper understanding of local realities.
“This visit reflects the Government’s continued commitment to ensuring balanced and inclusive sports development across all regions of the country, with particular emphasis on the Northeast,” the official statement added.
The Khelo India programme, launched to revitalise India’s sports culture at the grassroots, continues to gain momentum across remote states like Arunachal Pradesh, where logistical challenges persist but community enthusiasm remains high.
