Infrastructure deficit impeding Nagaland's sports development

Limasenla Jamir 
Mokokchung | April 28

As the twenty second edition of the Inter-District Football Championship comes to a close on April 29, stakeholders point to the lack of infrastructure as the major impediment in the process of development of sport in the state.

L Kamon, Team Coach of the Dimapur District Football Association (DDFA), affirms that every district should have a turf field for football to improve in the State. "If the players are guided and given good training, along with proper facilities, the players of the state can even compete at the national and international level," he remarked.

Colo Mero, Vice-President of the Nagaland Football Association (NFA), believes that if the government can make a policy and invest in building one functional and proper Astro turf in each district, it will not only aid in the development of sports talent but also in the promotion of the game by hosting national and international tournaments.

"Playing on a turf field gives a player a professional feeling. It aids in the development of their abilities. No district should be denied infrastructure development," said DDFA Team Manager Lanutoshi Yaden. 

While praising the host Mokokchung District Football Association (MDFA) for all of their efforts despite major challenges, Lanutoshi added that the championship should be held in all of the districts because it belongs to all of us, and if all of the districts are given the opportunity to host, the infrastructure might very well improve.

Merentoshi R Jamir, Convenor, Planning Committee, remarked that there were problems, impediments, and difficulties in all areas of organising such a huge event, from accommodations to other logistics. He did say, though, that Mokokchung had worked hard and given its all.

When asked about the state of sports in Nagaland, he stated that the desire to participate in sports is ingrained in every Naga and will never fade. "In order for sports to thrive, we need to reconsider our priorities, focusing particularly on infrastructure throughout the state. Professional training and avenues should be provided. We cannot depend on Government alone. We need to look out for funding,” he added.

Colo Mero further added to the statement by saying that there is much potential for football in Nagaland. “We need to give more and invest more in sports. The government will not be wrong in investing in football,” he said. “We need to develop the players, the coaches, the managers, the club owners and the community for football to be better in the state,” he commented.

Despite having just the most basic facilities in the districts, Mero noted that the quality and standard of the teams have greatly increased. "Normally, half of the district teams would dominate the competitions, but the 22nd edition of the championships revealed that any team can beat any other team. Players are showing good standard and it is very inspiring to see the new districts performing equally well,” he said. 

MDFA President Meyisanger Lemtur noted that despite many problems, each district team has cooperated and demonstrated a constructive attitude. He also praised the public's support, particularly those who travelled from other districts solely to cheer on their teams. He also praised the people of Mokokchung and the Ao community for their contributions to the tournament's success.

Mero meanwhile said it has been very inspiring to see the young and vibrant leadership of the Nagaland football associations, adding that the NFA is looking forward to working with all the districts in the coming years. 

The Dr T Ao trophy is one of the biggest football championships played in the state. The trophy saw professional live-telecast of the event for the first time in collaboration with Star Cast India. The channel had a whooping 22,000 viewers during the semi final match and about 1.3 million views in total.