Kohima: The Nagaland state government is handing over its unfinished Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex in Dimapur to the Sports Authority of India. SAI Deputy Director General Manjushree Dayanand arrived in the state on July 23 to finalize the deal. They will sign the official Memorandum of Understanding in Kohima on July 24.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio announced the move during the March 2026 budget session. The 64-acre site has sat unfinished for nearly two decades. The project has already cost taxpayers roughly Rs 140 crore. It became a symbol of government failure since Rio started the work in 2003. Now, SAI plans to take it off the state's hands.
Dayanand said the deal began with an offer from the Chief Minister's office. "The offer actually came from the Chief Minister's office, wherein he offered 64 acres of land with infrastructure in place for three sports (football, sepak takraw and boxing) disciplines," she said. The current SAI training facility in United colony has fallen into ruin. SAI officials found the conditions there unsuitable for athletes.
The relocation process will occur in two stages. First, football, sepak takraw, and boxing trainees will move to the new campus. Later, the site will grow into a National Centre of Excellence. This expansion includes building residential hostels and adding more sports disciplines. SAI also plans to hire coaches and sports medicine staff across nine different fields.
Technical details remain thin for now. The parties plan to conduct a need analysis to ensure the site stays functional. Both sides intend to treat this as a joint venture to avoid past waste. With the right investment, Dayanand believes the state could eventually produce Olympic athletes.
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