Shillong, March 27: Shillong marked a significant sporting milestone with the launch of the Senior National Khelo India ASMITA Pencak Silat League 2025-26 at the Sports Authority of India centre on the North-Eastern Hill University campus.
Nearly 300 women athletes from 23 states and union territories, including participants from Meghalaya, are competing over two days in pencak silat, an Indonesian martial art that combines combat techniques with artistic performance.
The event is part of the central government’s ASMITA initiative aimed at promoting women’s participation in sports. It is being organised by the Sports Authority of India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Indian Pencak Silat Federation, and the Meghalaya Pencak Silat Association.
Meghalaya Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla attended as chief guest, while John F Kharshiing, working president of the Meghalaya State Olympic Association, was present as guest of honour. The opening ceremony featured a cultural programme along with a pencak silat demonstration.
Shylla congratulated the athletes, describing their qualification for the national-level event as a significant achievement. He highlighted the role of the ASMITA programme in advancing women’s participation in sports and noted Meghalaya’s longstanding tradition of empowering women through its indigenous communities.
He also underlined the state’s investment in sports development since 2018, including training, infrastructure and equipment. The minister added that pencak silat could be included in the 39th National Games, which Meghalaya is set to host in 2027, a development that has generated interest among athletes and organisers.
The league highlights the growing presence of emerging sports in the Northeast and reflects Meghalaya’s expanding ambitions as it prepares to host a major national sporting event.
