Meghalaya to Host 2027 National Games: IOA's PT Usha

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Meghalaya will host the 39th National Games in February/March 2027, announced by IOA President PT Usha.
• The IOA flag will be handed over to Meghalaya at the closing ceremony of the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand.
• The 38th edition in Uttarakhand features around 10,000 athletes across seven cities, with Dehradun as the main venue.
• Meghalaya’s hosting marks the fourth National Games in five years, following a long hiatus since 2015.
• Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma expressed excitement and honor at being chosen as the host for the 39th National Games.

Indian Olympic Association PT Usha announced to state Chief Minister Conrad Sangma that the event is going to happen during February/March 2027 in Meghalaya, indicating the 39th edition of the National Games.

Meghalaya, as the host state linked to the upcoming edition for the Games, will receive the IOA flag in the closing ceremony of the ongoing 38th Games in Uttarakhand, which will take place in Haldwani, on Friday.

"I am pleased to inform you that the IOA has decided to allocate the hosting rights of the 39th National Games to the state of Meghalaya, scheduled to be held in February/March 2027," Usha wrote in the letter to Sangma on Monday.

Further, "As Meghalaya embarks on the exciting journey, I would like to invite you to the closing ceremony of the 38th National Games in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, where the IOA flag will be ceremoniously handed over to Meghalaya," she added.

Sangma reacted to the decision, saying that it was a "huge honour" that his state has been chosen as the host of the Games in 2027.

"Overjoyed to share that Meghalaya has been officially announced as host for the 39th National Games!," he wrote on social media.

Further, "Excited to join the Closing Ceremony of the 38th National Games at Uttarakhand to accept the IOA flag as the host for the next season of the National Games," he added.

The National Games in Uttarakhand, which started on January 28, are being contested by approximately 10,000 athletes and officials from 38 teams.

The Games are being organized across seven cities with Dehradun as the major venue. Other event venues are Haridwar, Nainital, Haldwani, Rudrapur, Shivpuri, and New Tehri.

The previous edition in Goa in 2023 featured competitions across five cities.

In terms of the number of athletes, the event is one of the largest in the world, though its impact on the country's international success has been a subject of debate.

The Uttarakhand edition marks the third National Games held in three years, signaling the revival of the multi-sport event after a long hiatus.

Meghalaya is preparing to host the grand celebration sometime in 2027, wherein the four National Games will be organized in a span of five years.

The National Games were last held in Kerala in 2015 before the dates for the 2020 edition in Goa were changed several times due to delay in readiness of the infrastructure.