Meghalaya bets on football to create sports economy

Meghalaya's Chief Minister aims to boost the state's economy through football investments, creating job opportunities for youth.

Meghalaya’s coalition government, headed by the National People’s Party, is investing heavily in football toward creating a job-oriented sports economy, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said on Tuesday (March 25, 2025).

He said Meghalaya would have 50 Astro Turf football fields by 2028, the most for any State in India. More than 100 football training grounds are also being developed for children and youth at the grassroots level.

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“Twenty-five of these 50 artificial turfs are under construction, while 25 others are in the proposal stage. At ₹10 crore per turf, we will be spending ₹500 crore on these football fields,” Mr. Sangma told journalists after inaugurating the 7th Act East Business Show in the State’s capital, Shillong.

He said the craze for football has made the State government push the beautiful game to the next level by taking steps such as setting up a 40,000-capacity football stadium that would be India’s biggest. He also said a centre of excellence is being established in Shillong in collaboration with the NorthEast United FC, one of the country’s top football clubs.

The Chief Minister said the government has targeted about 25,000 children through the grassroots football programmes and was creating funds for them.

The State government has also identified archery, shooting, contact sports, canoeing, and kayaking for promotion after realising their potential. Another plan is to tap the natural sprinting talent of people in the State’s Ranikor and Shella areas by giving them access to advanced training, nutrition, and physical development.