Meghalaya still on track to host National Games

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 12: The Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA) and the state’s Sports and Youth Affairs department have submitted details to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on the preparation for the National Games.

During the special annual general meeting of the IOA held yesterday, the newly elected President of IOA Dr PT Usha stated that the IOA is committed to conducting the National Games as allotted and is trying to conduct the National Games every year so as to clear the backlog of pending National Games of Goa, Chattisgarh, Uttrakhand and Meghalaya.

MSOA working president John F Kharshiing, informed  the President  IOA that Meghalaya had to reschedule the entire preparation due to the two years of Covid-19 lockdown, and had recently successfully revived and conducted the 3rd state games in February 2020, the 4th State Games in May 2022 including the prestigious 2nd North East Games in November 2022 and that construction of a number of prestigious sports infrastructure was already ongoing and in an advance stage in both Shillong and Tura (sub city) in preparation for the hosting of the National Games.

Kharshiing informed the IOA president that as per the timelines of the progress of the various ongoing infrastructure work Meghalaya would be tentatively ready to host the National Games in 2025. He also informed the IOA officials that late RK Sachetti, former Chairman, GTCC Committee for Meghalaya, had visited Shillong in January 2020, however since his sad sudden demise in May 2021, the IOA was yet to communicate who would be replacing him to coordinate with the MSOA and the State Government relating to the National Games.

The IOA president informed that the new office bearers have just taken over the Indian Olympic Association and will review the submissions and will be connecting with the Meghalaya State Olympic Association shortly to review the timelines of the pending National Games.

Prior to the meeting in the IOA President’s official chambers the MSOA officials attended the Special Annual General Meeting (SAGM) presided over by Dr PT Usha, wherein among other matters the IOA SAGM heard the report from Amitabh Sharma, Executive Council Member, & Chairman, GTCC – 37th National Games, Indian Olympic Association, who briefed the house that based on their recent visit to Goa and meetings with the Goa State Government it has been confirmed that the XXXVII National Games will be held in Goa this year during end October 2023.

Earlier in her opening remarks the IOA president had called on all to unite for the sake of the athletes and to strive towards the goal set by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi that India must become a sports super power by 2036.

Meghalaya’s legendary musician Lou Majaw releases Riniki Marwein’s ‘Brittle’

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 8: A poetry book titled, ‘Brittle,’ written by Riniki Chakravarty Marwein was launched today at Dylan’s Café, in Shillong.

Meghalaya’s legendary musician Lou Majaw, widely known for his Bob Dylan tribute shows, graced the occasion as the chief guest.

Marwein’s debut work ‘Brittle’ is a collection of poems about childhood and family, love, loss, and memory; and how she dealt with the challenges of the pandemic.

In her words, “I got pretty nostalgia-struck during the lockdown. My childhood and the time spent in India kept roaming in my head in flashback form over and over again. I was home-belted like everyone else and very worried about my loved ones. It got kind of scary, so I had to find a way to let my anxiety out. This is when I started writing the book and I can’t believe it is finally published.”

Marwein further added, “Nostalgia, for me, is always connected to intimacy maintenance: I want to remind myself of the people and places, and what they meant to me. For eg: some poems in my book do have elements of loss, longing, and sadness, but that also reflects the positive experiences – such as how close we are as a family.”

The book launch was followed by an engaging discussion between Marwein and the audience on poetry, music, inspirations, and other subjects.

Majaw, in his trademark denim shorts, leather wristbands and mismatched socks, recited some of the poems from Brittle along with Riniki and performed songs for the crowd that gathered in support of the launch. Ending the event on a high note and praising the author, Majaw said, “I bought Brittle last month from an e-commerce site. I loved all her poems; each so poignant and beautiful, however, a particular composition ‘Sired Evening’ caught my attention. It’s a simple poem but quite moving and introspective at the same time. There’s something about poetry that actually transcends everything else, just like music. I’m so glad to be a part of this beautiful occasion today.”

Brittle is currently available on all leading e-commerce platforms and at select bookstores across the country.

Brittle is Riniki’s debut collection of poems. It is a gathering of family and childhood, love, loss and memory. Brittle is the fuel the poet wrote with during the pandemic, which guides the pieces to come together as a theme. They are simplistic in form and style while bolstering vivid unrests to reveal the poet’s path to finding herself.

Riniki Chakravarty Marwein was born in Shillong and completed most of her education there. She spent most of her career in the PR industry in Mumbai before moving to Singapore in 2008. She holds a Master’s Degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. Riniki has been seriously writing poems since the pandemic. This year, she finally got to organise the pieces in Brittle. She is now gathering gumption for a stint in spoken word poetry.

Upscaling Hobby to Business- the story of Harador Khariong’s Plant Parenthood

“If done with full commitment and passion whether it’s art, science or music, one can achieve their goal to make things work better and the satisfaction you will get is beyond your imagination”— Harador Khariong, Founder-Plant Parenthood
For Harador Khariong, a resident of Wahingdoh Shillong, East Khasi Hills Meghalaya, Plant Parenthood started as a hobby and out of love for plants during her college days. This eventually became more interesting and turned to be a career option in planting in the year 2020, especially succulents because they were relatively easier to take care of.
It was during the Northeast Food Show 2022 that Harador saw few entrepreneurs with their stall under the umbrella of PRIME, after which she learned in detail about PRIME and how it has helped entrepreneurs succeed in their business. Therefore, in the same year she enrolled herself in the Pre – Incubation batch 3.
Through the PRIME’s Pre-Incubation program, she learned more about upscaling her business and ultimately launched the ‘Plant Parenthood’ initiative.
This article has been featured in collaboration with PRIME Entrepreneurship Meghalaya. To know more about PRIME, visit: https://www.primemeghalaya.com/