Moa Jamir
On Nagaland Sports Policy
Based on the promises and commitments made by those in leadership positions over the years, Nagaland appears to be in the process of developing the most comprehensive 'sports policy among Indian states, if not globally.
Most recently, the Advisor to the Chief Minister of Nagaland and Chairman of the Investment & Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN), Abu Metha, stated during the opening ceremony of the 1st Mini Olympic 2024 of Rengma Sports’ Association that the Government of Nagaland is formulating a new sports policy.
However, one is skeptical given past precedences. For instance, when the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) first took office in March 2018, with sports as one of the major thrust areas, and its Common Minimum Programme even pledged to enact a sports policy "within 100 days in power" and establish a sports university.
In his first budget speech thereafter after returning to power on March 23, 2018, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio claimed that the government would release a new Nagaland Sports Policy, which would be formulated by engaging all sections and stakeholders, including inputs from professionals, international sportspersons, and experienced sports administrators.
"We have to plan a strategy where sports becomes an industry that provides gainful employment inside and outside the competitive arenas," he added. Infrastructure development, game developmental projects from grassroots upwards, capacity building of coaches and trainers, improvement of diet and nutrition, exposure and scientific training of athletes, motivation and reward, and career stability for sportspersons were some of the salient features the Chief Minister highlighted.
A full term and nearly one year into the new tenure after, the sports policy remains elusive despite familiar refrains. The Chief did inform in November 2023 that the government is attempting to bring out a comprehensive Sports Policy by revamping the existing policy and indicated it would try to legislate it in the upcoming Budget Session (2024-25).
Incidentally, the Nagaland Government did come out with a 'Nagaland Sports Policy 2006' - designed primarily to facilitate the multi-dimensional and integrated approach to accelerate sports, though it is invisible even on paper in the public domain.
In its review of the Department of Youth Resources & Sports (DYRS) in its Audit Report for the year ended March 31, 2015, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) criticized the "ad-hoc promotion of sports and culture in the state." "The Sports Policy of 2006 was not reviewed as per the potential, popularity, and performance of local sportspersons in various games as of June 2015," it commented.
In the 123rd Report to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly’s (NLA) Public Account Committee (PAC) 2020-2021 pulled up the DYRS for its failure to review sports policy, infrastructure anomalies, and lack of development plan for sports and youth activities. A revised Nagaland Sports Policy 2006 should be furnished within 2 months from the date of its presentation on its report, the PAC said in its report presented on February 15. It is not known what transpired thereafter.
Nevertheless, 2023 marked notable sporting successes in the state, with a commendable 8 medals secured at the National Games in Goa. Despite these achievements, the absence of a well-defined sports policy, as promised, signals the persistent reliance on ad hoc approaches to sports promotion in Nagaland. The Nagaland Government must expedite legislation of the sports policy to transform pledges into concrete action, not mere platitudes.
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