Shillong(Meghalaya), May 30: Meghalaya inaugurated a ₹132.9-crore Integrated Multipurpose Indoor Hall at the J.N. Sports Complex and signed the Host State Agreement for the 39th National Games, 2027, positioning the event as a regional showcase backed by world-class infrastructure and the state’s organic produce.
Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma jointly opened the hall, built in 2.5 years with New Development Bank funding under the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development Project. Competition-ready for Basketball and Kabaddi, it will also house a High-Performance Sports Science Centre covering biomechanics, analytics and sports medicine. MoS Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Sports Minister Wailadmiki Shylla and IOA President Dr. P.T. Usha attended, alongside senior IOA officials and representatives from other Northeastern State Olympic Associations.
The Games will be staged across Shillong, Tura and Jowai, with over 10,000 athletes expected and more than 5,400 jobs in the pipeline. In a first for the National Games, other Northeastern states will have host participation rights for disciplines held in their territories, making it a collective regional event. The 2027 edition also falls in Meghalaya’s 55th Statehood year.
The revised Host State Agreement spells out legal, financial and operational responsibilities in greater detail, following the handover of the Games flag from Uttarakhand after the 2025 edition. Meghalaya joins Assam and Manipur as Northeastern hosts.
Mandaviya praised the state’s execution record and flagged upcoming projects including the Umsawli Sports Complex, P.A. Sangma Sports Complex in Tura and the Mawkhanu Football Stadium, billed as the Northeast’s largest dedicated football venue. He said such facilities would boost tourism, create employment and give athletes scientific training support for years, while the Games would spotlight Meghalaya’s organic food potential.
Sangma called the Games “just the beginning” of a long-term push to build a lasting sports culture, urging young athletes to seize the chance to compete at home and bring glory to the state.
