The Arunachal Olympic Association (AOA) has proposed hosting the 4th North East Games 2026 in Arunachal Pradesh and submitted it to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for a decision.
The event aims to promote regional sports and youth development, and is proposed to be held in Itanagar in October this year with thousands of participants.
The event will feature 12 priority sports disciplines across the Northeast states.
Despite limitations in facilities to host such a huge event, the AOA could take up the challenge as sports remain significant in the state. Though it may be lacking in accommodation and even decent stadiums, there will be no dearth of crowds.
The proposal should also help the sporting authorities in identifying what needs to be done in terms of facilities in the state, as it remains one of the states in the region with the least facilities. If the IOA gives the go-ahead, the state and the authorities should seize the opportunity and also treat it as a lesson on how to ramp up facilities. Separate events can be held in multiple locations across the state where there are facilities to organise an event of this scale.
There will be funding constraints, but the state could play a major role in improving infrastructure and adding new facilities, as the existing infrastructure remains extremely underwhelming.