ITANAGAR, 27 Oct: ‘8 AM Sports Diet Scholarship-2022’, an initiative of NGO Helping Hands (HH), sponsored by Gurgaon-based VR Industries Private Limited (VRIPL), was launched by Education Minister and Arunachal Olympic Association (AOA) president Taba Tedir at the State Banquet Hall here on Thursday.
Applauding HH, particularly its president Robin Hibu, “for the path-breaking inventiveness and sponsors,” Tedir said that “the huge sports potential of Arunachal Pradesh is well known.
“The small, 17-member state team created a record in the 36th National Games, held recently in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, by winning seven medals, while states taking part with 300 to 400 players drew blank,” he said.
“Thus, Chief Minister Pema Khandu paid cash awards of Rs 3 lakhs and Rs 2 lakhs to the gold and silver medal winners, respectively,” he added.
“Though the state government has notified its sports policy, prioritising eight sports disciplines, various cash incentives and 5 percent reservation in all government jobs and 10 percent for police department, the concern of need for nutritious food stuffs for players to play well would be solved by this scholarship,” Tedir said.
He congratulated the awardees and urged the state’s sportspersons to “get ready to play with commitment in the forthcoming 2nd North East Olympic Games, slated to be held from 30 October to 6 November, and win as many medals as possible.”
“This scholarship will help to convert Arunachal into a sports house of India,” Tedir added.
HH president Hibu said that “a state team had come to Delhi a few years ago to take part in a national sports championship, when a coach, after interacting with the players, had given poor impression about their diet, saying that was affecting their performance.”
“It is a fact that NE players are talented despite lack of sports infrastructures and adequate coaching. Good players always create good impression,” he said.
Informing that the VRIPL has been supplying food to the army, navy and IAF personnel, Hibu said that “the diet will reach the respective homes of awardees every month.”
“Though 50 players from all NE states were selected through a stringent process following Olympic guidelines, particularly those who have made their marks in state, regional and national sports events, 31 winners are from Arunachal,” he said, adding that “cash, if given, could be misused, for which it was decided to give as nutritious diet besides Rs 10,001 each.”
He exhorted the sportspersons to maintain discipline, and expressed hope that “Arunachal will soon produce Olympians like Mary Kom and Borgohain.”
VRIPL CEO Kush Lakhanpal announced to provide supplements for the students of the Sangey Lhaden Sports Academy (SLSA) in Chimpu.
Forty girls and 40 boys from the SLSA, including a few awardees, were present.
“Instead of enjoyment, you are expected to prove your calibre in national and global events to win gold medals,” Sports Director Tadar Appa said, adding that “you should make all possible efforts and the department will extend all possible help.”
AOA secretary-general Bamang Tago said that “the scholarship has fixed responsibility on all awardees to prove themselves in their respective disciplines.”
Stating that Hibu “has gone beyond his call of duty to promote NE sportspersons,” Horticulture Secretary Koj Riniya said that “it becomes bounded responsibility of the awardees to prove their worth, as they will be under constant observation.”
