[ Karyir Riba ]
ROING, 16 Feb: The very first boxing ring in Lower Dibang Valley (LDV) district was inaugurated on Sunday at the Khelo India indoor stadium in Kera-Atihere. This initiative of the LDV Olympic Association (LDVOA) marks a significant step towards development of boxing in the district.
Inaugurating the boxing ring, local MLA Mutchu Mithi praised the LDVOA for its efforts to promote sports in the district. “It gives me pleasure to see that,inch by inch, team LDVOA is working towards attaining its vision of taking sports in LDV to the next level,” he said.
“The state is slowly but surely growing in the field of sports. The government understands that sports is a vital structure of life, and is essential for holistic development. The government is putting all efforts to develop the sports scenario in the state. The Cycling Federation of India has decided to conduct their national championship in Arunachal this year.
“Moreover, the National Games is also set to be held in Arunachal in the coming year. These developments point towards the growth in the sports arena in the state,” Mithi said.
NHPC ED LK Tripathi, under whose leadership the boxing ring was donated to the LDVOA, said, “We will continue to provide support through our CSR for a healthier younger generation that stays away from drugs and leans more towards sports.”
LDVOA president Hapi Mene said, “A year ago, we had put up a request for this boxing ring with the NHPC, and we are delighted to finally launch it today. As of today, we are handing it over to the LDV Amateur Boxing Association (LDVABA) with hopes that it will be used efficiently. We hope that the boxing association will identify the talents and work on them.
“Even if a single talent from LDV manages to shine in the field, we will take pride and consider ourselves successful. Similarly, step by step we will work towards uplifting a maximum number of sports in the district,” Mene added.
LDVABA president Debang Meto said, “We are really thankful to the LDVOA for the boxing ring. This is indeed great news for all boxing fans and enthusiasts of the district. Very soon we will hire a coach and start training, and we hope for the best outcome.”
A boxing match was also demonstrated during the inauguration programme.
LDV DC Soumya Saurabh, ZPC Mama Miso, ZPMs Rajen Mikrow, Komji Linggi and Monti Linggi, DSO Roy Mihu, L&T HoP Rupesh Mishra and GR HoP Pratap Singh were also present, among others
