The Centre has plans to hone the sporting talents in Arunachal Pradesh by providing state- of-the-art infrastructure and training facilities to budding sportspersons, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said on August 7.
The assurance came when a delegation from East Kameng district, led by state Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Mama Natung, met Rijiju in New Delhi.
"My dream is to see at least four to five youth from our state representing the country in the next Olympic Games," an official release quoting the Union minister of state (Independent) for Youth Affairs and Sports said here.
Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, also shared with the delegation his ministrys plan to sponsor world-class soccer coaches for training promising footballers of the state.
He said, no players from the state had ever represented the country in the Asian Games.
Rijiju also assured the delegation that funding would be provided for an astro-turf soccer ground and stadia in East Kameng district on priority basis. It will be done in a phased manner for the rest of the state.
Noting that East Kameng has huge potential for sports, Rijiju said that the district will soon get a sports academy, under the Sports Authority of India (SAI), at Bana.