Assam gears up to host nat'l games after two decades
2
Guwahati: Assam is progressing with plans to organise the National Games in 2027, Chief Minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma
announced on Saturday while inaugurating two key sports academies in North Guwahati.
The state last hosted the National Games in 2007.
Sarma stated that all matches of the upcoming National Games will be hosted here in Guwahati. "We have already started initial preparation for organising national games. But the games will be held after the election (assembly polls to be held in 2026)," he told the media. Although the state assembly polls are likely early next year, Sarma confirmed that the games are unlikely to take place in 2026.
"We are going ahead targeting 2027.
All the games will be held here. We have been informed that the finals will also be held here only. Definitely, the sports lovers are enthusiastically waiting for the national games," he added.
M
eanwhile, Sarma inaugurated the permanent site of the Assam Cricket Association's Cricket Academy and the Guwahati Town Club's Football Academy at Fulung in North Guwahati on Saturday.
According to a govt. release, the Assam Cricket Association's Cricket Academy campus is equipped with 10 practice wickets, a cricket ground with five centre wickets, one of the largest indoor cricket halls in the country with 10 wickets, residential facilities for players, and provisions for technical directors, coaches, and other staff.
The Guwahati Town Club's Football Academy features two football grounds, a 60-bed hostel, and a football pavilion, with future plans to arrange indoor games.
"Both academies have provisions to impart training under the guidance of coaches of international standards," the release added.
Sarma said that through these two academies, major sporting infrastructure for both football and cricket has been created to support and encourage budding sportspersons. He stated, "With systematic training, guidance from national and international standard coaches, and regular monitoring, positive outcomes could be expected, thereby fulfilling the purpose of establishing the academies."
Preparations are also underway to build sports infrastructure in Chandrapur to support Assam's aim of hosting the National Games, officials said. Additionally, an Olympic-standard swimming pool is being constructed next to the badminton stadium in Amingaon in North Guwahati, while around 100 stadiums are currently under construction across the state.
The Chief Minister emphasised that proper utilisation of existing sports facilities could enable Assam to produce quality sportspersons and enhance its achievements in sports. However, he expressed concern that, relative to the scale of infrastructure developed, the emergence of good players has been limited. Thus, the Chief Minister emphasised that the central focus must remain on the development of athletes.
Over the past five years, Assam has witnessed notable successes through Hima, Lovlina, and Nayanmoni. Yet, Sarma stated that the state has the capacity to attain a higher level of accomplishment.
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Wayne Gretzky's daughter Paulina Gretzky enjoys Jason Derulo's LIV Golf concert while teasing her own music future
Paulina Gretzky enjoys Jason Derulo's LIV Golf concert with her husband Dustin Johnson (Getty Images) Wayne Gretzky may be 'The Great One' on the ice, but his daughter Paulina Gretzky continues to carve her own space in the spotlight. Known for her glamorous lifestyle, support of husband Dustin Johnson, and growing presence in the entertainment world, Paulina recently blended all three during the LIV Golf Indianapolis event at The Club at Chatham Hills. Paulina Gretzky embraces the fan village experience with Dustin Johnson by her side On Saturday, Paulina shared a carousel of photos on Instagram from Jason Derulo's concert, which closed out the second day of the tournament. Instead of sticking to a VIP-only corner, she leaned into the fan village vibe, capturing the energy of the night. One shot showed her standing near the stage with Johnson, sporting a green sleeveless crop top, black mini skirt, and sneakers, while Dustin kept it casual in shorts, a T-shirt, and a cap. She captioned the post with a playful nod to the weekend's mix of golf and music: 'F𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗀𝖾.' Other images featured her mingling backstage with country singer Riley Green and posing in relaxed group shots with friends and performers. The posts highlighted her ability to balance star power with a down-to-earth connection to fans. Teasing a new chapter with music collaborations Paulina's presence at LIV Golf wasn't her only buzzworthy update this summer. She has been teasing a potential music career, sharing glimpses of recording sessions with Nashville songwriter Tyler Reeve and even posting an unreleased track titled 'If These Heels Co…' under her own name. With past collaborations involving artists like Chris Young, her social media hints suggest she may be preparing for a new creative chapter. Also Read: Matthew Tkachuk injury update: Panthers star unlikely to sit out full season despite surgery option and Olympic concerns By merging lifestyle moments, family support, and career pursuits, Paulina Gretzky continues to capture attention—well beyond her famous last name. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
World C'ships an opportunity for Lakshya to turn things around: Coach Vimal
CHENNAI: The season so far has been an immense slog for badminton ace Lakshya Sen. Victories have been at a premium and the shuttler, despite his unarguable talent, has largely been at sea while trying to navigate high-intensity matches inside the court. But that narrative can change in no time. With the all-important World Championships in Paris around the corner, Lakshya will be hoping to buck the trend. With the gold-standard event in mind, the shuttler from Almora is currently training in Paris alongside some of the elite French players. The Indian, who celebrated his 24th birthday on August 16, will be returning to a venue — Porte de La Chapelle Arena — where he had narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal last year. Having said that, he has also tasted success there, having reached the semifinals of the French Open in summer last year. And the Indian had shown some form during his last outing — Macau Open, gaining crucial match-practice in the process. However, he has to be near-flawless from the onset during the BWF Grade 1 event — scheduled to be held from August 25 to 31 — as he will be facing China's Shi Yu Qi, who has been one of the standouts of the season so far with four titles to his name. The odds are clearly stacked against Lakshya but a victory against the World No 1 shuttler could just be the kick he needs. U Vimal Kumar, Lakshya's coach at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), concurred. "It's an opportunity (for Lakshya). That's what I told him the moment I saw the draw. He said everything is going well. Shi Yu Qi is someone whom he has beaten before. The top-30 players who'll be playing in the event, Lakshya has beaten all of them. He can beat any of them but he has to convert his chances. The top guys are also vulnerable and they'll be under pressure. Shi can also be under pressure. He knows Lakshya's strengths and it's going to be a tough match. If Lakshya can play fearlessly and pull off a win, it will be a good breakthrough," Vimal told this daily. Lakshya this season has either struggled to get his engine burning, going by his early exits or he has seemed to be lacking ideas during the business end of sweat-dripping matches. Vimal, who has been regularly looking to motivate his ward, said that is the issue that he's trying to address at the moment. "He needs match-practice. Training is not new, he has been doing that for long. He has been looking to work on dealing with different situations, how you employ yourself and pull off wins. He has been faltering in those closing stages. That is an area that they're trying to get better at, to understand when to push the pace, when to keep the shuttle in play without making mistakes when under pressure. That he can only gain in the practice that he's getting over there as there are quite a lot of other elite players who're also practising there. He has to figure things out, everything can't be coached."
India.com
4 hours ago
- India.com
Neeraj Chopra Qualifies For Diamond League 2025 Final In Zurich; Check Details
Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has secured his place in the men's javelin throw event at the Diamond League 2025 Final in Zurich, Switzerland, scheduled to be held on August 27 and 28. Neeeraj, a two-time Olympic medallist, did not compete in the Silesia Diamond League. However, with 15 points from two DL appearances this year, he has already made the cut for the grand finale, as per the latest standings released after the Silesia leg on Saturday. In his two Diamond League outings this season, the 27-year-old Chopra claimed win at the Paris leg with a throw of 88.16m after producing a national record-breaking 90.23m effort to finish behind Julian Weber of Germany in Doha. Notably, both Neeraj and Weber are tied on 15 points in second place while Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott leads the standings with 17 points from three events. Walcott, the London 2012 Olympic champion, finished second in Silesia with 82.54m. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters and Luiz Mauricio Da Silva of Brazil are also expected to make the cut for the grand finale in Zurich. Also Read: Neeraj Chopra Wins Paris Diamond League With Stunning 88.16m Throw, Levels With Julian Weber In Points Table Neeraj had won the Diamond League title in 2022 and was a runner-up in 2023 and 2024. However, he is yet to confirm his participation in the Zurich Diamond League Final. Chopra's last competition was at the NC Classic in Bengaluru on July 5 when he threw 86.18m to win the title at the event he himself hosted. Moments of glory Medals shine bright at the Neeraj Chopra Classic! Rumesh takes bronze, Yego takes silver and Neeraj finishes first on the podium with a gold. Congratulations to all the winners!#NeerajChopraClassic #Javelin #GameofThrows — Neeraj Chopra Classic (@nc_classic) July 5, 2025 Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, the Paris 2024 Olympics gold medallist, has skipped the Diamond League events this year.
