State football academy coach alleges discrimination in selection process
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 16
A nominee of the Nagaland state Dr T Ao Sports Awards has raised questions on the procedure adopted to select the awardees for 2018. The newly instituted awards for sports personalities of Nagaland, handed away by the Governor on Independence Day (August 15) in Kohima, went to four individuals that included three coaches and one sports administrator.
Football coach of Nagaland State Sports Academy, Dimapur Mughato Sumi, alleged of manipulation in the selection process that cost him the awards. A Governor’s Medal awardee and a winner of many other commendations, Mughato, who has led the state junior football team at several national and international competitions, was in the short-list for the awards.
“I am very disappointed with the favouritism and discrimination displayed by the selection committee (of the awards),” he told a press conference today in Dimapur. Without delving into what transpired in the selection process to cost him the award, he said that it was apparent the selection committee did not follow the laid down procedure as expected to narrow down the list of nominees.
Expressing discontentment at how football was ignored, he said was amazed to learn that none of the awardee was from football.
“I can in all modesty rightfully claim that I deserve the award. The achievements the state junior team have made over the years under my guidance and the awards that have come my way for my contribution to football in the state stand as testimony, he said.
He had led the state junior football team as coach to championship victories at the Subroto Internationals in 2014 and 2012 and also won the Subroto Nationals in 2008. He has won the AIFF Royal Gold Cup in 2009, took the Senior Men’s trophy at the National North East Games in 2016, was runners-up at the Asian Youth Football Fiesta (2015) in South Korea and several other noteworthy performances by teams under his guidance.
According to him, he has nurtured and produced three footballers from Nagaland to go pro at the I-League. One of the three is currently with the ISL’s North East United FC.
Listing the awards he has won for his contribution, he said that he has been awarded the Subroto Cup (International) best coach award twice and once for the Subroto Cup (National). He won the State Coach Award in 2013 and the Governor’s Medal in 2015. He also said that he is the only person from Sports department to have been incorporated in the Nagaland Board of Secondary Education’s Life Skill Education subject.
While alleging he was deliberately sidelined, he nevertheless said, “I have been ignored, fine. But this kind of manipulation should not happen again.” He said that such a treatment should not befall any other sports personality of the state.
Also at the press conference was the Advisor of the Nagaland Kickboxing Association, Akihito Zhimo. Zhimo held that questions arise with regard to the process followed for selecting the awardees. Terming Mughato as deserving of the awards, he sought clarification from the selection committee for the alleged “injustice on a deserving candidate.”
Xusheto Sumi, president of the Kuhuboto Area Sports Association held that it did not appear to be fair for Mughato Sumi to not have been given the awards.
Khehuto Zhimomi, GB, Midland, Dimapur termed the alleged favouritism as condemnable. “Awards should be seriously considered without favouritism to any one person. Justice must be delivered,” he said.
