Shillong, Jan 5 (IANS) Meghalaya has sent a proposal to the union government for laying a synthetic athletics track at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Complex here at a cost of Rs.7 crore, Deputy Chief Minister Bindo M Lanong said Thursday.

“We hope to get the sanction as early as possible,” Lanong, who is also the minister in-charge of sports and youth affairs, said after inspecting the artificial football turf at the complex at the polo Ground.

“The synthetic track would help budding athletes of the state,” he said.

The new football turf is getting finishing touches and Shillong Lajong F.C. will play their first game on it Sunday against Goa’s Churchill Brothers in the I-League.

The turf, costing Rs.5.13 crore, covers an area of 9,000 square feet and the work on laying it began in July after the natural pitch was found to be unplayable.

The Meghalaya government laid the artificial turf after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) gave them two months’ time for the upgradation of the stadium, especially the turf.