Officials during the curtain raiser programme in Kohima on August 31. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | August 31
The 10th edition of the Captain (Late) N Kenguruse, Mahavir Chakra (MVC) Memorial Football Tournament 2026–27 will be held from November 2 to 10 across venues in Kohima and Chümoukedima.
Announcing the tournament during a curtain-raiser programme here on Monday, Col Tijo Joseph, Commandant, 17 Assam Rifles, speaking on behalf of the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North), said the tournament will be conducted under the aegis of the Spear Corps and HQ IGAR (North) in collaboration with the Nagaland Football Association (NFA), with support from the Kohima District Football Association (KDFA) and Chümoukedima District Football Association (CDFA).
A total of 20 teams are expected to participate in the tournament, divided into four pools of five teams each.
The opening ceremony, 12 pool matches, and four quarterfinal matches will be played at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima from November 2 to 6. The semifinals, third-place playoff, final match, and closing ceremony will be held at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium from November 7 to 10.
Team registrations will open at 6:00 AM on September 1 and conclude at 8:00 PM on September 30. The draw of lots and release of match fixtures will take place on October 7, followed by the unveiling of the official poster, mascot, and theme song on October 9.
The total prize purse for the edition has been raised to Rs 8.69 lakh, marking an increase of Rs 2.22 lakh from the previous edition.
The champions will receive a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh, while the runners-up will be awarded Rs 2 lakh. The third and fourth-placed teams will get Rs 1 lakh and Rs 75,000, respectively.
In individual awards, the Golden Boot winner will receive Rs 20,000, while the Player of the Tournament will be awarded Rs 15,000. The Best Goalkeeper and Best Midfielder will each receive Rs 10,000.
Additionally, the manager, coach, and physiotherapist of the winning team will receive Rs 8,000 each, while their counterparts from the runner-up team will be awarded Rs 5,000 each.
The curtain-raiser event was attended by NFA Treasurer Roko Angami, 17 Assam Rifles Second-in-Command Lt Col Dikshant Karki, NFA Head of Referees Kevingutuo Sekhose, CDFA Vice President Yongsen Jamir, CDFA Joint Secretary Alemtemsu Longchar, and KDFA Vice President Azho Sophie.
