North-east region deserves special attention from sports ministry

The decision of the Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju to create a separate north-east zone for the proposed football talent hunt scheme soon to be launch by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in conjunction with the Sports Authority of India and the All India Football Federation is laudable indeed.

It goes without saying that the conglomeration of nine states is a gold-mine for sports talent. And its true right across the board ... name the sport and north-east would have a path-breaking contributor.

Usually clubbed in the East zone for all practical purposes, the region has suffered great neglect in most aspects of life, not merely sports. One of the major causes for this is the tough terrain which makes a fairly large part of area nearly inaccessible. Despite improved rail and air connectivity, travel in the region remains tough, making it a mystery and hence deserving special treatment.

Nagaland leads the young footballers from the region by becoming the first school team from the north-east to reach the final of the prestigious Subroto Cup football tournament way back in 1967. Thereafter teams from each of the nine north-east states has at least once reached the title round of the world's only tournament of its kind. But the wealth of talent that the region possesses never translated into reality.

Was it lack of opportunity or merely the general laid-back attitude of the people of the region is a tough one to decipher! But the fact remains the talent present in the region never got the play it deserved in any sport, not just football.

Through the now successful initiative Khelo India, the MYAS seeks to right this and guiding the desire to change is a man who would know the region almost like the back of his hand. A native of Arunachal Pradesh, sports minister Rijiju has indeed realised that any talent search in the region needs a special drive. His understanding of the logistical issues, among other things, would be able to provide a sincere boost to the efforts.

North-east no longer needs to be neglected area of the country. Guwahati may have been the gateway to the north-east but that may no longer be true in the years to come as more and more bright talents dot the national spectrum in the sports arenas.

A start has been made. Now the follow-up needs to be sincere. Otherwise it will remain yet another praiseworthy initiative that failed to deliver!