Shillong, Nov 4: They will be largely behind the scenes but their work will be vital to the smooth functioning of the 2nd North East Olympic Games 2022, no less so as they will be the ambassadors of Meghalaya to the visiting athletes and officials.
Some 400 volunteers have been recruited to help the 10-16 November mega event go smoothly, covering every area, from catering, accommodation, transport, medical, media, to the efficient running of each of the 18 disciplines.
Today, these volunteers attended an orientation programme at the State Convention Centre, which was attended by the Director of Sports and Youth Affairs, Shri Shivansh Awasthi IAS, and other senior officials.
Volunteers will be on hand to receive the visiting athletes as they begin to arrive in Shillong this weekend and will become familiar faces over the week-long event. They will be paid a stipend and travel allowance while gaining valuable experience that will stand them in good stead for the future.
Each discipline will have volunteers assigned to them, with extra teams allocated to the football and basketball events as they are expected to draw in larger crowds of spectators.
Shri Awasthi took questions from the volunteers and reminded them that Meghalaya's reputation is at stake and that he is sure that all concerned will give their best so that the visitors from the other North East states go back home with a good impression.
One such volunteer who is keen to do his best is Jefferson Lyngdoh. "I am excited about the North East Olympic Games because I love sports, especially football and tennis, and this will give me good experience of events, working as part of a team while also having my own personal responsibilities," he said today.