[ Harshwardhan Pillai ]
ITANAGAR, 8 Jul: The state government has formed a special panel to study the feasibility of recruiting a majority of district-level sports administrators through a direct process.
Headed by Dr Mari Angu, the five-member committee has been tasked with presenting its recommendations to the sports ministry within 20 days.
The development follows a peaceful demonstration at Sangey Lhaden Sports Academy (SLSA) in Chimpu by members of the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), highlighting the need for improving the sports infrastructure in the state. Following the demonstration, the state government convened a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of the AAPSU.
Chaired by Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Kento Jini, the dialogue took place at the civil secretariat, and was attended by senior officials of the department, alongside an AAPSU delegation led by Zentle Mosu, the union’s sports secretary.
Apart from administrative appointments, several other points raised by the AAPSU received immediate attention. These included hiring of qualified coaches, addition of key support staff positions such as wardens, and upgrades in athlete intake at SLSA, which will coincide with the upcoming infrastructure work.
Jini also directed resolving persistent issues at the Miao-based sports training centre, particularly concerning facilities and power supply.
To ensure financial accountability, the department has committed to submitting a full report on how previous sports funds have been utilized at the Itanagar academy. The report is expected within five days.
The conversation between the government and the student representatives was described as constructive by both sides, with mutual understanding paving the way for reforms aimed at strengthening the state’s grassroots sports framework.
