Parents’ role crucial in raising athletes: Natung
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Sep 6: The 7th Dorjee Khandu Memorial State Badminton Championship began at the Raj Bhavan badminton hall here on Friday.
As many as 343 shuttlers from 24 districts, barring Shi-Yomi, are participating in the five-day event.
Sports Minister Mama Natung attended the inaugural programme to encourage the players.
Lauding the Arunachal State Badminton Association’s (ASBA) untiring efforts to promote badminton, Natung exhorted the association’s members, coaches and instructors to maintain the tempo.
Stating that Arunachal is “no more a minnow in sports in the Northeast region,” he urged the sports officials and mentors of all other disciplines to continue their efforts to see more development.
“Parents’ role is crucial in raising athletes,” Natung said, adding that parents play and important role in their children’s career development.
The minister felicitated the parents of four young shuttlers who have been selected under ‘Catch them young’ – a talent hunt programme of the ASBA – for a national coaching camp, sponsored by the Badminton Association of India, at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore.
The players are Pakli Bagra (from West Siang), Lobsang Choiden Sherdang (Tawang), Montilly Pul (Anjaw), and Taku Neha (Kra Daadi), informed ASBA secretary Bamang Tago.
Four players from each state will be attending the camp at the academy from 20 September to 5 October, and the selected players will form the national junior (U-15) badminton team, Tago said.
ASBA president Techi Ratu sought support from the government to give wings to the sports sector.
“Everything does not happen overnight,” he said, adding that the sports community of the state has lot of expectations from the government led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
Arunachal Olympic Association (AOA) Secretary-General Abraham K Techi urged Natung to take initiative for establishing more sports academies in Arunachal through private-public partnerships.
He advised the players to aim high and give full attention to their chosen sports, and said the players should not take up sports only for landing a government job.
“You will not have to chase the job; the job will chase you when you become an Olympian or a successful sportsperson of national or international repute,” he said.
Earlier, Natung led others in offering floral tributes to the portrait of former chief minister Dorjee Khandu, in whose memory the championship is organized.
It is learnt that the cash prizes for the winners will be sponsored by Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
