Shillong, October 28: Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla on Tuesday launched the fourth phase of the STAR Talent Identification Programme (TID-4) at SAI STC, NEHU, Shillong. The State’s search for sporting talent will now cover all 12 districts.
TID-4 aims to assess 13,000 participants: 10,000 young school athletes and 3,000 athletes from sports associations.
The programme is organised by the Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA) with the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs. Sportality Pvt. Ltd. handles the technical side of the testing.
About 120 young athletes attended the launch. Also present were Director of Sports and Youth Affairs Alertson Nongbri, Deputy Director P.B. War Nongbri, MSOA Working President John F. Kharshiing, MSOA Podium Committee Chairman Dipshon Ryntathiang, Sportality co-founder Vikram Malik, Colonel Vinay Kumar, Director Recruiting, Recruiting Officer (Headquarters), Shillong, Lt Col S. Marbaniang (Retd.) and office-bearers of State sports associations.
Shylla said the State Government, led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, was backing sports, and the goal was not just to produce athletes for State and national events but to produce Olympians.
“There is a phrase, ‘catch them young’. It’s right here that we have to catch young talents, nurture them, and make you athletes who will bring laurels to the state,” he told the young athletes.
He said athletes picked for the Super Elite Programme get full scholarships covering accommodation, education, training and food.
The minister said that under the Meghalaya Outstanding Sports Persons’ Direct Appointment Policy, athletes who win medals for the State at the national level, the Asian Games, or the Olympic and Paralympic Games will get government jobs without having to sit for exams.
He said the newly opened Sports Science Centre in Shillong, only the second in the Northeast, will help with better screening and faster recovery. Special treatment packages for injured athletes are being worked out with the Health Department, along with insurance cover, as the State builds new facilities ahead of hosting the National Games.
Kharshiing said the programme, launched in 2022, has built up valuable data on sporting talent across the State. The data is reviewed every quarter and used to decide which sports to prioritise.
He said Meghalaya has broken several of its own records and found talent in new disciplines. One sport introduced only a few months ago has already won a bronze medal at the Under-18 National Championship in Odisha. He said he hoped the State would put up its best-ever performance at the upcoming 39th National Games.
TID-4 tests include height and weight measurements, a 20-metre sprint, a Compass Drill, vertical jump, seated medicine ball chest throw and an endurance test. Results are weighed against each participant’s age, development and training background.
Promising athletes move into the Elite Pathway Programme (EPP), which offers structured coaching, training and regular assessment. From there they can progress to the Super Elite Pathway Programme (SEPP), which focuses on sport-specific training and competition preparation.
Testing will be held in phases across the State. Dates and venues will be worked out with the MSOA, schools and sports associations.
