In a significant step towards strengthening sports infrastructure and promoting sporting culture in the district, the Futsal Ground at Byndihati Village, East Jaintia Hills District funded through the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Scheme was inaugurated today the 14th January 2026 by Khliehriat MLA, Shri Kyrmen Shylla.
Also, present during the inaugural function were Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills District, Shri Shivansh Awasthi, IAS, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO)- Sadar, East Jaintia Hills District, Shri Manish Kumar, IAS, Sutnga-Nongkhlieh, MDC, Shri Hambertus Nongtdu, traditional heads, community members and others.
In his address as Chief Guest of the programme, Khliehriat MLA, Shri Kyrmen Shylla commended the office of the Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills District for facilitating the development of sports infrastructure in the district, particularly the construction of Futsal Grounds. He also congratulated all stakeholders, especially community leaders for their collective efforts and urged the youth of the village to utilize the facility effectively for their overall development.
Shri Shylla also emphasized the importance of proper maintenance of the ground to ensure its longevity even as he further called upon the community leaders of Byndihati to approach him without any hesitation for any developmental projects in the village and expressed hope that the presence of the Futsal Ground would benefit both experienced players and would also serve as an encouragement to the youth to actively engage in sports activities.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills District, Shri Shivansh Awasthi, IAS, in his speech during the occasion informed that the Futsal Ground at Byndihati is the 10th such facility inaugurated in the district, while three additional futsal grounds have already been completed and will be inaugurated soon.
Furthermore, he underscored that the development of such infrastructure aligns with the broader vision of the Government of Meghalaya to promote sports and develop Shillong as a major sports hub. He further noted that upcoming events such as the National Games and the construction of major football grounds would provide greater opportunities for emerging athletes.
Moreover, Shri Awasthi highlighted the effective utilization of DMF funds across various sectors in the district in recent years with approximately 50 schools having been repaired and renovated to improve educational infrastructure, winter camps having been conducted to create awareness on drug abuse particularly among students from classes VIII to XII; in the health sector, several health care institutions including Primary Health Centres (PHCs) have been renovated while additional equipments have been made available to Civil Hospital, Khliehriat through DMF. (DPRO, Khliehriat)
