Shillong, July 4: Meghalaya Sports minister Shakliar Warjri on Tuesday informed that the sports department along with the Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA) launched the “Lead Programme,” for which nine athletes from the state has been selected for training to compete at the international level and the Olympics.
Warjri said that out of the 14,500 athletes from all the 12 districts of Meghalaya, 200 were shortlisted for further test out of which only 9 were selected. These selected athletes will be trained for the next 3 years.
According to the Minister, they would also be trained by renowned olympic athletes including by some athletics and weightlifting.
He also expressed hope that after recieving training for three years, these trained athletes will be able to compete at the international level and even in the Olympics.
Out of the nine selected athletes from different districts of the state, six belong to the athletics category, two in weightlifting and one in karate.
Warjri also said that for three years the nine athletes will be trained in Shillong too. He said the government also hopes that in these 3 years these selected athletes can be sent outside the state and international.
Talking about the coaches, he said that the sports department has Ian Campbell from Australia with his team who will be training these athletes.
 launched the “Lead Programme,” for which nine athletes from the state has been selected for training to compete at the international level and the Olympics.){kind=link}