Meghalaya to boycott Executive Committee Meeting of upcoming South Asian Games

SHILLONG: Days after it threatened to pull out as co-host of next month's South Asian Games, Meghalaya has decided to boycott the Executive Committee Meeting of the SAG to be held in Guwahati on Monday.

It is learnt that on the advice of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Meghalaya representatives have been told not to attend the eighth meeting of the EC to be held at a Guwahati hotel on January 11 till the issue of shifting away of badminton venue from Shillong is settled.

Meghalaya Sports Secretary and state Olympic Association President are among the members of the EC of the SAG which is headed by Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Meghalaya had threatened to withdraw from co-hosting the February 5-16 SAG, protesting against shifting of the badminton event from Shillong to Guwahati. The two Northeastern cities are co-hosting the regional multi-sporting event.

"The Director of Meghalaya Sports & Youth Affairs Ministry has written to Project Officer, Project Management & Legacy of the SAG that on the advice of the Chief Minister, Maghalaya is not sending its representatives to the EC Meeting to be held on January 11 in Guwahati as the state government has not received any response to the protest letter regarding the proposed shifting of the badminton venue from Shiillong to Guwahati," a member of the Executive Committee told PTI.

The badminton event of the upcoming South Asian Games has been shifted to Guwahati from Shillong due to inadequate facilities at the proposed venue at the Meghalaya capital.

The SAI Sports Centre at Shillong's North East Hill University, which is a multipurpose indoor stadium, was reportedly found not suitable by the Badminton Association of India officials owing to poor lighting and lack of wooden flooring for the warm-up courts.

Meanwhile, there are indications that a final decision on the badminton venue is yet to be taken and it may still be held in Shillong.

National badminton coach Pullela Gopichand was to fly to Shillong yesterday from New Delhi to inspect the venue at the Meghalaya capital but could not do that as his flight was cancelled due to foggy conditions at the National Capital.

Gopichand, who was in New Delhi for the ongoing Premier Badminton League, is likely to be in Shillong on January 13 to inspect the venue.