One of the participants being felicitated at Chumbi Residency on Thursday. Picture by Ashit Rai

Gangtok, Feb. 22: Sportspersons from Sikkim who participated and won medals at the recently-concluded 33rd National Games held in Guwahati were felicitated at a programme organised by the Sikkim Olympic Association (SOA) at Chumbi Residency here today.

Sikkim won six medals at the Games to stand third among the eight northeastern states. This was the first time Sikkim officially took part in the event (after the SOA became an affiliate of the Indian Olympic Association).

The medal-winners from the state were Umesh Tamang (gold in taekwondo), Dina Rai (gold, karate), Rupen Pradhan (silver, taekwondo), Samjhana Mangar (silver, karate), Gompu Tshering Bhutia and Suman Tamang (both bronze in taekwondo). Two other Sikkimese sportspersons, Meera Chettri and Tshering Ongmo Bhutia, also won medals but they were representing Assam. All of them will bag cash incentives (Rs 5 lakh for gold, Rs 3 lakh for silver and Rs 2 lakh for bronze).

Sikkim sports and youth affairs minister P.S. Tamang today announced a slew of projects to improve the standard of sports in the state. Among them is a winter athletic stadium at Pangthang, 8 km above Gangtok in East Sikkim, for which the Centre has already sanctioned Rs 24 crore. There is also chief minister Pawan Chamling’s dream project, a khel gaon at Reshithang for which land has already been acquired.

Besides, Fifa has already sanctioned Rs 1 crore to Sikkim Football Association to set up a football centre complete with a ground. “Fifa officials have assured me that if they ever decide to set up a football academy in the country, they would give Sikkim top priority,” Tamang added.