Paul Lyngdoh at the news conference in Guwahati on Monday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Dec. 6: Music, sports and tourism make a heady mix and the Meghalaya government is going all out to experiment with this interesting fusion.

The state is hosting a musical extravaganza on Saturday to fund sporting events and promote tourism and is also planning an international golf tourney in February to boost ?sports tourism?.

The state government has already got in touch with the North Eastern Council (NEC) and the department for development of the north eastern region (Doner) to sponsor the golf tournament in Shillong, Meghalaya minister for sports and youth affairs Paul Lyngdoh told reporters here today.

The state hopes to revive the lost glory of the Shillong Golf Course, too, with the tournament.

?We have one of the finest golf courses in India which can be utilised to attract golfers from all over the world. Keeping this in mind, we have been making an effort to organise the golf tournament sometime in February,? Lyngdoh, the brain behind the initiative, said. The government has contacted some internationally-renowned golfers, seeking their participation in the tournament. ?By the second week of January, we will be in a position to give the names of the participants,? the minister added.

As part of the ongoing initiative to showcase Meghalaya as a music destination, the government has roped in the American music award-winning rock band Firehouse to perform in Shillong on December 11.

The concert, jointly organised by the department of sports and the Meghalaya Olympic Association, will act as a fundraiser for the Meghalaya Games, which begins tomorrow, and prepare for the 2005 National Games in Guwahati. ?We are expecting to generate about Rs 80 lakh from the live open air concert,? Lyngdoh said.

Since Firehouse is performing in the country for the first time, the government is expecting to draw crowds from all over the country. ?We have received enquiries from places as far as Delhi and Bangalore,? Lyngdoh claimed.

Some local bands will also be given the opportunity to play their compositions in both English and Khasi ?We are allowing the local bands to share the stage with internationally-renowned bands to promote the hidden talents in the states,? he added.

Shillongites had another music treat on November 27 when Grammy-winning gospel group Petra had taken music buffs to dizzy heights with a spectacular performance.