Shillong, Sept 25: A high-level Meghalaya delegation led by Sports Minister Wailadmiki Shylla is in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, to study the organisation and management of the 20th Asian Games and draw lessons for Meghalaya’s preparations to host the 39th National Games in 2027.
The delegation is on an eight-day visit to Japan from September 20 to 28.
The eight-member delegation visited several competition venues, including those for boxing, basketball, table tennis, shooting, archery, athletics and swimming. The team also interacted with technical officials and administrators to gain insights into venue management, event operations and the overall conduct of a major multi-sport competition. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are being held from September 19 to October 4 across Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya.
The visit comes at a crucial stage in Meghalaya’s preparations for the National Games, with the state set to host the event in 2027. The delegation is expected to compile its observations, experiences and recommendations and submit them to the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Meghalaya, for consideration in the state’s preparations.
The delegation also witnessed some of the challenges associated with hosting a major international sporting event. Around 400 athletes and officials staying in temporary accommodation were briefly evacuated to higher ground earlier in September following torrential rainfall and flooding in Nagoya. The evacuees were later able to return, with the Games proceeding as scheduled.
Accommodation has been one of the major logistical challenges in Aichi-Nagoya, with the number of registered athletes and officials rising beyond the original estimate. Organisers had initially planned accommodation for up to 15,000 delegation members, while the Olympic Council of Asia later reported registrations of around 17,000, including approximately 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials.
Unlike the traditional model of a single athletes’ village, Aichi-Nagoya has used a combination of hotels, temporary accommodation and a cruise ship to house participants. The approach was adopted as organisers sought to make use of existing facilities and avoid creating large-scale infrastructure that could remain underused after the Games.
Japan is hosting the Asian Games for the third time, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. The Aichi-Nagoya edition brings together athletes and officials from 45 countries and regions, with competitions being held across venues in Aichi and other parts of Japan. Official Games documents list 41 sports, while the final programme has expanded to 43 sports.
For Meghalaya, the Japanese experience provides an opportunity to examine how a large multi-sport event can be planned around existing infrastructure, technology, venue operations, accommodation, transportation and coordination between different stakeholders.
Besides Minister Shylla, the Meghalaya delegation includes Meghalaya State Olympic Association’s (MSOA) Working President John F Kharshiing; MSOA General Secretary Finely L Pariat; Director of Department of Sports and Youth Affairs A L Nongbri; Deputy Director of the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs; a Senior Project Engineer of the State Sports Council of Meghalaya; and a sports consultant from the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs.
The delegation’s findings are expected to contribute to Meghalaya’s ongoing preparations for the 39th National Games, particularly in areas such as venue management, technical operations, athlete accommodation, transportation and coordination among sports administrators.
