Shillong, May 21 (UNI) Meghalaya will solely host the 39th National Games, 2027, with majority of

the sports disciplines, including the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in this mountainous state, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said on Wednesday.



“Meghalaya is the host state. There is no other state that is hosting the National Games,”Sangma said dismissing reports of Meghalaya jointly hosting the mega national sports event.



State Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Shakliar Warjri had said that the central government has asked Meghalaya to ensure that all other North Eastern states are allowed to host at least one discipline.



However, the Chief Minister said that while inclusivity is being promoted by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Government of India, Meghalaya will retain primary hosting responsibilities.



“To promote inclusiveness, one or two disciplines may be given to different northeastern states. This is just to send a positive message of unity across the region,” Sangma said.



Reiterating that the 39th National Games is “not a jointly-hosted one, but rather a fully Meghalaya-led initiative with only symbolic participation from neighboring states”, the Chief Minister said, “This is a completely Meghalaya-hosted program. There is no confusion and no question of it being a jointly-hosted Games.”



In a bold step toward environmental sustainability, Sangma that the upcoming National Games in Meghalaya will be plastic-free event.



“My target is that the National Games should be completely biodegradable,” the Chief Minister declared, underscoring his government’s commitment to long-term environmental change.



Meghalaya will be the third state in the Northeast to host the Games after Manipur and Assam that hosted it in 1999 and 2007 respectively.

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