Arunachal: Abraham to head AWA for third term
Nirjuli
Arunachal Weightlifting Association (AWA) unanimously elected sitting president Abraham K Techi for third term, weightlifter Biku Sarita as secretary general and founder-secretary general Daniel Teli as vice president here on Saturday.
State’s additional advocate general N R Hina after declaring the new executive body wished it to ink new record during its tenure.
Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) senior vice president-cum-Manipur Olympic Association secretary general Sunil Elangbam, who was observer, indicating his special attachment for the state recalled his association with the state since 2011 when national level events were conducted here. But, the AWA has risen to very higher pedestal with spectacular achievements within a very short span of time under the presidentship of Abraham, he said.
The AWA with committed selfless services has turned into a role model for other NE states to emulate, he said without mincing any words. The time has come for the NE sports bodies to develop close ties to avail GoI schemes and adopt the special traits of countries, like Germany, Korea, China etc which have carved special niche in global sports fields to win medals in Olympic Games, he said, adding the new body will have greater responsibility as coincidently Union MoS (independent charge) for Sports and Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju belongs to Arunachal Pradesh.. “I wish all success to AWA,” he added.
Appreciating state players for excelling in various sports events, Arunachal Olympic Association vice president G Doke as an observer exhorted one and all to work with renewed zeal to maintain the tempo to win more laurels for the state.
Advocating toeing positive attitude, Abraham called for new strategies to add more wings to fly Arunachal Pradesh flag more prominently across the world. Terming Elangbam as sports gem of India, he said that he has been touring across the globe as judge and with his dedicated efforts and motivator has turned Manipur into a sports hub of India. Arunachal weightlifters achieved one after another success with his constant guidance which deserves salutation, Abraham said, adding Sarita is first woman in India to rise to such position.
He exhorted all office bearers to extend their selfless services without any expectation and suggested to draw a future road map to march ahead with confidence.
Arunachal Pradesh weightlifters won many laurels to create milestones in regional, national and global scenario with their feats despite lack of adequate infrastructures, training equipment and qualified coaches, Teli earlier said while highlighting remarkable achievements of the organisations and enlisting the names of medal winners.
The credit for innumerable medals won so far goes to only two coaches Pianu Chanu (female) and olden Thanga (male), he said, adding Pune-based Army Sports Institute coaches at the initiative of AWA have conducted talent hunt since 2017-18 at Itanagar to select weightlifters to train them in their boys sport company centres many of whom have won medals. There has been no support from the GoAP, he said without mincing any words.
The Rs 39 lakh gymnasium-cum-weightlifting training centre built at Naharlagun Rajiv Gandhi Stadium is being demolished to upgrade the stadium while the GoAP has approved Rs 4 crore to build a multipurpose weightlifting training-cum-competition hall at Nirjuli but the file has been missing, Rs 50 lakh approved as corpus fund is yet to be received and five weightlifting coaches only assured. The AWA has been running from pillar to post since 2012 to get financial support of the GoAP which if granted could have transformed the weightlifting scenario to a great extent, he said with confidence.
The new executive body, chaired by Abrham later, decided to conduct two-day state level weightlifting championship at Nirjuli from September 5 next. Moreover, a committee headed by Teli with Sarita and secretary Tarh Tadap as members was named to select players of national level championship.
