Shillong, Oct 28:Taking its search for sporting talent to every corner of the State, Shri Wailadmiki Shylla, Minister, Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Meghalaya, formally declared the fourth cycle of the STAR Talent Identification Programme (TID-4) open at SAI STC, NEHU, Shillong, on 27 October 2026.
Organised by the Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA) in collaboration with the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and Sportality Pvt. Ltd., which is responsible for the technical delivery of the testing, TID-4 aims to assess 13,000 participants across all 12 districts, comprising 10,000 young school athletes and 3,000 association pathway athletes.
The launch, attended by 120 aspiring athletes, was also attended by Shri Alertson Nongbri, MCS, Director, and Shri P. B. War Nongbri, Deputy Director, Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs; Shri John F. Kharshiing, Working President, MSOA; Shri Dipshon Ryntathiang, Chairman, Podium Committee, MSOA; Shri Vikram Malik, Co-Founder, Sportality Pvt. Ltd.; Colonel Vinay Kumar, Director Recruiting, Recruiting Officer (Headquarters), Shillong; Lieutenant Colonel S. Marbaniang (Retd.); and office-bearers of various State Sports Associations.
Addressing the young athletes, Hon’ble Minister highlighted the State Government’s support for sports under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Conrad K. Sangma, and said the aim is not only to produce athletes for state and national competitions, but to make Olympians.
He said, ‘There is a phrase, “catch them young”. It’s right here that we have to catch young talents, nurture them, and make you athletes who will bring laurels to the state.’ He added that athletes selected for the Super Elite Programme receive full scholarships covering accommodation, education, training and food.
Highlighting wider support for sportspersons, he said that under the Meghalaya Outstanding Sports Persons’ Direct Appointment Policy, athletes who win medals for the State at the national level, the Asian Games, or the Olympic and Paralympic Games will receive direct government appointments without examinations.
He added that the newly inaugurated Sports Science Centre in Shillong, only the second in the Northeast, will support better screening and faster recovery, and that special treatment packages for injured sportspersons are being worked out with the Health Department, alongside insurance provisions, as the State builds new facilities ahead of hosting the National Games.
Shri John F. Kharshiing said the programme, which began in 2022, has built valuable data on sporting talent across the State, reviewed quarterly and used to identify priority sports. He noted that Meghalaya has broken several of its own records, discovered talent in new disciplines, and that a sport introduced only months ago has already won a bronze medal at the Under-18 National Championship in Odisha, expressing hope for the State’s best performance at the upcoming 39th National Games.
From Testing to Development TID-4 assessments include height and weight measurements, a 20-metre sprint, Compass Drill, vertical jump, seated medicine ball chest throw and an endurance test, with results considered alongside each participant’s age, development and training background.
Promising athletes move into the Elite Pathway Programme (EPP), which provides structured coaching, training and repeated assessment, and then the Super Elite Pathway Programme (SEPP), focused on sport-specific development and competition preparation. Testing will be held in phases across Meghalaya, with dates and venues to be coordinated with MSOA, schools and sports associations.
