Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Ajay Maken today asked the youth of North—East to protect and preserve their rich culture and heritage which has been handed down from one generation to the next by their forefathers.
Inaugurating the three—day North East Youth Festival at Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex in Shillong, Mr. Maken said, “everyone is oriented to western culture due to the advent of television and media. But instead people should look to the east for its rich cultural values.”
Referring to the development of sports in the North East, Mr. Maken said Meghalaya should emulate Manipur, which won 118 medals in the 34th National Games held in Jharkhand.
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Mr. Maken said the region was not lacking in talent in the field of sport, but what was required is upgradation of sports infrastructure.
“If more funds can be pumped into development of sports infrastructure, the region can easily produce national and world champions. North East is the future of Indian sports, and catering to the right needs can produce world champions and international level players from the region,” Mr. Maken said.