Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 23
Thirty schools located in and around Kohima will vie for the 2nd edition of Kohima District Inter School Football Tournament, starting from June 25- July 9 at Kohima Local Ground.
The tournament is jointly organized by Royal Club Kohima, Department of School Education and Youth Resources & Sports.
One of the organizers, Royal Club, Kohima (RCK) said that promoting the game of football in Nagaland has been its cherished objective.
Towards this end, it informed that the Club has been involved in organizing football tournament since 1988.
Since, many state players doesn’t get the opportunity to go out of the state, the RCK had been organzing the Royal Gold Cup, the only AIFF affiliated and the only All India Football tournament in Nagaland till the 22ndRoyal Gold Cup, 2013, it said.
The main purpose of the cup was to give opportunity to state’s players to play alongside reputed teams from across India.
They have played to play against some of the most reputed teams in India such as Mohun Bagan, Mohammadans, George Telegraph, Mahindra & Mahindra, Punjab Police, Rasthriya Chemical and many other teams from across India, it added.
The Club further noted that the coming of global economy has also seriously impacted the game of football in India and the emergence of India League (I League) in 2007 and the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2013 has globalized the game in India.
However, it regretted that while football players from the neighboring states in the north east are emerging as dominant force, football in Nagaland stills remains bleak.
As a result, the RCK stating that ‘changing time demands change in strategy’, it decided to focus on the development of football in Nagaland beginning with the grass root programme by launching the1st edition of Kohima District Inter School Football Tournament in 2017.
The Club further exuded confidence that its effort will help in harnessing the budding talents and molding so that players from Nagaland “find their rightful place in the world of football.”
K. Miachieo, the RCK President, also informed that the club would try to organize inter-district school football tournament in the near future.
The opening match will be played between Ministers’ Hill Baptist Higher Secondary School and Khedi Baptist Higher Secondary School at 1.30 PM on June 25.
30 participating schools includes; Vineyard School, Bethel HSS, TM GHSS, Don Bosco HSS, Mt. Hermon HSS, Loyala School, Grace School, Christ King HSS, Don Bosco Tseminyu, Holy Family HSS, Charity School, St. Paul Phesama, Mt. Sinai HSS, Dainty Buds School, Riizhukhrie GHSS, GHS Riisoma, Mezhiir HSS, St. Mary’s Cathedral, GHSS Jotsoma, Ministers’ Hill Baptist HSS, Khedi Baptist HSS, Baptist High, Chandmari HSS, BM School Jotsoma, Stella HSS, Northfield, CD Kings HSS Jotsoma, Dr. Neilhouzhii GHSS, Mt. Carmel and G. Rio School.
The match timing has been set at 11:00 AM for first match, 12:40 PM- 2nd Match and 2:40- 3rd Match.
