1st Patkai Trophy kicks off with goal to celebrate talents

Morung Express News 
Dimapur | March 30 

With the goal to ce-lebrate sporting talents and providing platform to students, the 1st Patkai Trophy, an inter-institution championship, kicked off today at Patkai Christian College (Autonomous)amidst zealous response from various institutions and spectators.  

The 3-day event features competitions in three team sports – basketball and volleyball, both men’s and women’s and football for the former.

Razouvotuo Chatsu, President, Angami Public Organisation declares open the 1st Patkai Trophy 2023 at the college playground on March 30. (Morung Photo)

Along with host institute PCC (A), 15 other institutions located in and around Dimapur and Chümoukedima districts are vying for the championship. 

The participating institutions from outside are Dimapur Government College, Eastern Christian College, Greenwood Higher Secondary School, ICFAI University, Immanuel College, Mount Mary College, NIT Nagaland, Norman Putsure College, Public College of Arts & Commerce, Sakus Mission College, SET, Dimapur (Nagaland University), St Joseph Higher Secondary School, St Joseph University, Tetso College and Veterinary Field Assistant Training Institute (VFATI).
On the inaugural day, the participating teams and spectators thronged to Patkai playground as the players strive to bring laurel to their institutions, egg on by their respective supporters. 

Besides celebrating talents, the championship is conceptualised to encourage students’ community to reach out and learn from each other, Ruületo Vakha, Member, Patkai Sports Committee, explained in his welcome address. 

Though the trophy would have respective winners, the greater goal is to bring about teamwork participation and camaraderie amongst students while also polishing one’s sporting talents, he added. 

Perfect platform for young talents: Chatsu
“I am very positive that this tournament will provide the perfect platform for young sporting talents to hone their skill-sets and prepare them to achieve greater heights, in the field of competitive and professional Sports,” maintained Razouvotuo Chatsu, President, Angami Public Organisation (APO). 

This is so as Patkai is one of the most reputed Institutions in the State, he justified his assertion, gracing the inaugural day as the chief guest, listing Patkai’s ‘reputation’ as first-ever private Baptist College and the first college to achieve autonomous status in the North-East, among others.

Chatsu further noted that sports have always been a part of the human race, from the earliest of times, including the origin of Olympic Games dating back to 776 B.C in Ancient Greece and sportsperson were revered by people and the society.

A basketball match in progress on the Day-I of 1st Patkai Trophy 2023 held at the college playground on March 30. (Morung Photo)

Calling sports a universal culture, the APO President opined that the ancestors of Nagas were also fascinated by games and sports by developing own versions of modern wrestling, archery and javelin, etc.

They competed fiercely and sportspersons were highly regarded, he informed. “The remote state of Nagaland is also known to some people, only because of sportsperson like Late Dr T Ao, the captain of the Indian Football team in the London Olympics, 1948.” Encouraging the youths to be passionate in their respective sports, he said sports is a multi-billion industry today sportspersons make it as a global personality, besides being amongst the highest earners and influencers, he added.

Accordingly, Chatsu urged young aspiring who are ready, to take part in this tournament to find the right motivation from the array of opportunities in the field of sports and to consider sports as a serious profession.

The Government of India has come up with schemes and projects like the Khelo India policy aimed at facilitating sports as a means of livelihood, he highlighted. 

“We must also know, how to seek and avail such opportunities,” he stressed.

Declaring the competition open, he also conveyed wishes for grand success of the maiden trophy and expressed hope that it will usher in the spirit of unity and a healthy camaraderie amongst the students’ community.

Thereafter, the preliminary matches of trophy kicked off on the day-I. (See results in the table)

The 1st Patkai Trophy is being organised in partnership with LiveNow Events. The Morung Express and @WeTheNagas are the media partners, while the prizes for different competitions are being sponsored by various business establishments, organisations and individuals.