ITANAGAR, AUG 27:
A delegation of the Adi Ba:né Kebang (ABK), along with representatives of the ABK Youth Wing and Adi Students’ Union (AdiSU), met Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Kento Jini here on Thursday and submitted a memorandum seeking establishment of a Sports Authority of India (SAI) Training Centre at Pasighat in East Siang district.
The delegation was led by ABK president Tanon Tatak and included ABK general secretary (acting) Oson Taying, secretary (Games and Sports) Jote Mingki, ABK Youth Wing president Oki Dai, general secretary Anit Tamuk, AdiSU president Tani Tapo, general secretary Dolen Saring and Kalen Tadeng.
The delegation highlighted the sporting potential of Arunachal Pradesh and stressed the need for modern, scientific and residential training facilities to nurture young talent, particularly from the central and eastern regions of the State.
According to the memorandum, Pasighat’s connectivity through Pasighat Airport and NH-515, along with existing infrastructure such as the Pasighat Outdoor Stadium, Jawaharlal Nehru College and District General Hospital, makes it suitable for a major sports training facility.
The delegation said young athletes from the Central Zone and Siang belt have demonstrated considerable potential in athletics, archery, boxing, football, badminton, taekwondo and karate. However, the lack of specialised infrastructure, scientific coaching and residential facilities often forces promising athletes to seek opportunities outside the State.
The proposed SAI centre would provide a structured ecosystem for identifying, training and nurturing athletes, with an envisaged capacity of 200–300 residential trainees. The memorandum proposed approximately 25–40 acres of land in and around Pasighat for the facility.
The delegation also highlighted the existing State-run Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy (SLSA) at Chimpu Itanagar and State Sports Academy at Miao, and stressed the need for a comparable high-quality institution in eastern Arunachal Pradesh.
It said the proposed centre would complement initiatives such as Khelo India and contribute to sports development in the border areas of the State.
The ABK expressed hope that the Sports and Youth Affairs Department would consider the proposal and take up the matter with SAI and the Government of India. It maintained that the establishment of an SAI Training Centre at Pasighat would strengthen the State’s sporting ecosystem and provide young athletes with greater opportunities to pursue excellence at national and international levels.
