Aizawl: Minister of State for Sports & Youth Services Lalnghinglova Hmar met with Union Sports & Youth Affairs Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya at his official residence in New Delhi. The minister stressed on the state’s urgent need for a standard football stadium to match its growing national presence in Indian football.
During the discussion, Minister Hmar highlighted Mizoram’s remarkable contributions to Indian football, noting that the state continues to produce the highest number of players participating in both the Indian Super League (ISL) and the I-League. “Our youth are making a mark nationally, but the infrastructure at home is lagging behind. To sustain this momentum and encourage future generations, we need a proper football stadium in Mizoram,” he said.
The meeting came shortly after the Union Cabinet passed the National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025 on July 1. Minister Hmar expressed his appreciation to the Union Government for the new policy and stressed the need for Mizoram to be included in the policy’s PSU-supported infrastructure development initiatives. He requested the Union Minister to ensure that a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) partner is allocated to help Mizoram build a state-level football stadium.
Union Minister Mandaviya acknowledged Mizoram’s impressive achievements in football and affirmed that under the NSP 2025, serious efforts would be made to improve sports infrastructure across states. He noted that the contribution of states like Mizoram to Indian sports must be matched with adequate facilities and assured that the proposal for a football stadium would be actively considered. He also mentioned that Minister Hmar would be included in upcoming discussions with PSU stakeholders to facilitate the process.
In recent years, Mizoram has secured a number of major sports infrastructure projects through central government schemes, all of which have been approved and are now moving into the implementation stage. These include a ₹11.5 crore Multidisciplinary Indoor Stadium under the Khelo India scheme; three indoor stadiums worth ₹38.4 crore under the NESIDS-OTRI scheme; a ₹9.88 crore synthetic hockey turf in Hnahthial under PMJVK; and artificial football turfs in Thenzawl and Champhai, costing ₹11.85 crore and ₹12.01 crore respectively.
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