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Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has laid the foundation stone for a mini stadium at Damas in North Garo Hills district, highlighting the state government's push to expand sports infrastructure across Meghalaya.

Calling sports infrastructure crucial for nurturing young talent, Sangma said the state currently has 240 sports projects either completed or under development. The government now aims to increase that number to 510 projects by 2028.

“Sports infrastructure is key to nurturing talent and creating opportunities for our youth,” the chief minister said in a post on social media.

He added that the government's vision was to ensure that “no district, no block, no locality should be left behind”, with equal access to quality sporting facilities across the state.

The proposed mini stadium at Damas is expected to improve access to training and sporting opportunities for youths in North Garo Hills, a region where infrastructure development has remained limited compared to urban centres.

Over the past few years, Meghalaya has intensified its focus on sports development, with investments in stadiums, training centres and grassroots-level facilities aimed at encouraging participation and identifying talent from rural areas.