Shillong, Sept 1: Former Minister, Robert G. Lyngdoh on Saturday worried over the lack of coordination between the state government and sports associations as well as the government’s failure to come up with a sports policy especially when Meghalaya would host the National Games in 2022.

Lyngdoh, expressed this while inaugurating the 14th State Swimming Competition organized by the Meghalaya Swimming Association (MSA) at the Crinoline swimming pool here on Saturday.

“How are we going to approach the national games when there is no policy that will give the direction? I fear we would not be able to achieve what we need to achieve,” Lyngdoh said.

The former Home Minister recalled that when he was with the Meghalaya State Olympic Association he had tried to push as hard as possible to ensure that the state has a sports policy that will govern all sporting activities in the state but failed.

“I took responsibility for the failure, as I did not stand for the elections of the MSOA any longer. I was hoping that it would make the government see that the folly in not having a sports policy but unfortunately I find till today we still do not have a sport policy,” he said.

With just three years left for hosting the national games in 2022, Lyngdoh said that he thought everything has been on a war footing.

“I was very disappointed and saddened to hear that the MSA did not even get the swimming pool in time to prepare it for the championship,” Lyngdoh said, adding that the lackadaisical attitude of government officials may spoil the enthusiasm and motivation that is there with the members of the Meghalaya Swimming Association.

Meanwhile Lyngdoh said that the state government should understand the harm that it is doing to sports in Meghalaya especially when it does not coordinate its activities together with the sports associations be it swimming, boxing, football and others.

“It is time for the state machinery to put its faith in these associations and allow these associations to do a good job by first and foremost identifying the potentials and give them the support that they required to train and coach people so that they come to a level where they will be able to participate in the national stage,” he suggested.

According to Lyngdoh, if the government continues to put stumbling blocks on the sports associations rather than encouraging them to perform, he feared that the national games in Meghalaya will be dominated by other states and Meghalaya will perhaps remain at the bottom of the table.

“I sincerely hope that the state government will wake up and I appeal to the authorities to rectify all the problems that are there,” Lyngdoh said.

He further asserted the need to keep politics and negative part of sports aside by giving the free hand and support to the associations to do the job of identifying and grooming potential and talented youth of the state.

“I hope the government sees the potential by starting zoning the games in different areas of the state,” Lyngdoh added.

Earlier MSA general secretary, Ian A. Lyngdoh also lamented over the delay of the state government to hand over the swimming pool to the Meghalaya Swimming Association.