SHILLONG, Aug 29: Meghalaya has significantly increased its investment in sports, with the Sports and Youth Affairs Department announcing higher cash incentives for medal winners and a range of measures aimed at strengthening training and support for sportspersons.
Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla said the awards being presented to athletes should be seen as the beginning of a broader effort to support sporting talent in the State. He was speaking at the National Sports Day 2026 celebration in Shillong, organised by the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs on the theme "Khelega Bharat, Jeetega Bharat".
Shylla said the State's sports budget has increased from around Rs 40 crore in 2018 to more than Rs 840 crore at present.The government has also substantially revised cash incentives for National Games medal winners. The incentive for a gold medal has been increased from Rs 7,500 to Rs 2 lakh, while silver and bronze medal winners will receive Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively.
The Minister said medal winners at the National Games, South Asian Games, Asian Games and Olympics would be eligible for direct government appointments under the Meghalaya Outstanding Sportsperson Direct Appointment Policy (MOSDAP).The first appointment under the policy was handed over to Pynshngain Kurbah, a bronze medallist at the 38th National Games.Shylla also announced that athletes representing Meghalaya at the 39th National Games would receive training stipends. The government is also planning to extend health insurance coverage to sportspersons under the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS).
As part of its grassroots sports initiatives, the government plans to establish 125 grassroots football centres and assess 24,500 young people under the STAR programme.
A high-performance sports science centre at the JN Sports Complex is scheduled to be inaugurated in September 2026, the Minister said. The National Sports Day programme also saw the felicitation of Mawlai Sports Club, champions of the fourth Meghalaya State League, who qualified for the I-League 3 2025-26 playoffs. Other medal winners were also felicitated during the event.
With Meghalaya set to host the 39th National Games in 2027, the government's increased financial support, grassroots initiatives and focus on sports science are aimed at creating a stronger sporting ecosystem in the State.