Kohima Town Club members, along with the trainee referees, at the IG Stadium, Kohima on Tuesday.
Kohima, September 28 (MExN): A 5-day long football referee clinic organized by the Kohima Town Club (KTC) got underway at the IG Stadium, Kohima on Tuesday.
A total of 27 participants (23 male and 4 female) from Kiphire, Phek and Dimapur districts are currently undergoing the training. All India Football Federation (AIFF) referee instructor Joy Chandra and national referee Priyo are the instructors.
Earlier, Z Kire, IPS, retired DGP Nagaland, who is also Adviser of the Club, exhorted the gathering during the short inaugural session. In his address, Kire encouraged the trainees to maintain discipline and make the best use of the training, while expressing hope that the trainees would go on to one day referee at the World Cup.
According to Kire, Nagas have the potential to shine in football. Describing football as much a mental game as physical, he urged the trainees to develop the intellectual aspect of the game. He also encouraged the trainees to stay updated with the latest rules and laws of football which keeps updating from time to time.
While noting that women’s football has not made much progress in Nagaland, he said that women football players should not be discouraged.
KTC president, Dr Viketoulie said the club decided to host the referee clinic instead of Football League this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As one of the more popular sports in Nagaland, he added that the scope of refereeing is also expanding. While the KTC has been working to promote football in the state, he said that there is a need to improve the quality of the sport.
He said the clinic was to improve the standard of football by training referees in the state, while also imparting fresh updates on both physical and mental fitness for game officials. He hoped that the participants can learn from the five-day clinic and improve the standard of the game.
Various classes such as practical training, fitness test preparation, positioning and movement, qualities of a referee discussion, laws, recovery, video test, analysis of video and others will be imparted to the participants during the five-day training.
