West Garo Hills (Meghalaya) [India]: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Governor Phagu Chauhan called on President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday at the Raj Bhavan in Meghalaya’s Tura.
The Meghalaya CM, in a social media post, shared the images of the meeting with the President and the Governor.
“With Hon’ble President of India, Smti. Droupadi Murmu ji and Hon’ble Governor of Meghalaya, Shri Phagu Chauhan ji at the recently inaugurated Raj Bhavan in Tura,” read the post by CM Conrad K Sangma on X.
Earlier on Monday, President Murmu inaugurated the fifth edition of the Meghalaya Games in Tura and laid stress on using the country’s diversity to boost India’s global image in the sports arena.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the North East region has tremendous potential for the development of sports and sportspersons. She noted that this region traditionally has a strong sports culture.
She said “diversity” is the beauty of our nation and we should utilise it” to further boost India’s global image in the sports arena. She emphasised the need to support the talent from the tribal areas and groom them to become professional sportspersons.
The President was happy to note that the society of the North East encourages women to play and join sports as a profession. She said that the North East region has produced many great women athletes. She also underlined the potential of adventure sports and adventure tourism in this region and the need to explore and leverage them on priority.
The President said that India’s sporting culture has developed immensely in recent years. With the government’s new initiatives and encouragement to athletes, Indian sportspersons are now winning more medals than ever in global events. Programmes such as Khelo India are helping in identifying and nurturing future sports champions. She said that India has also demonstrated its ability to host large-scale international sporting and other events.
The President urged children and youth to learn at least one sport and participate in sports activities. She said that they may or may not adopt sports as a career but playing together will inculcate team spirit and competitiveness in their personalities, apart from keeping them physically and mentally fit.
The President said that the decision of the government to hold these games in different parts of the state is a welcome step and would ensure a wider reach of such events among the masses. She expressed confidence that events like the Meghalaya Games will encourage athletes towards excellence, promote competitiveness and create a vibrant sporting ecosystem.
Among those present were Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chauhan and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
The 5th edition of the Meghalaya Games will be held till January 20 in Tura.
