Nagaland to host 1st NECDC senior men’s tournament

Morung Express News 
Dimapur | March 26

With the objective of promoting and further improving the sport of cricket in the state, the Nagaland Cricket Association (NCA), has announced that the 1st North East Cricket Development Committee (NECDC) Friendship Senior Men’s tournament (One Day International) will be held from March 29 to April 3 in Nagaland.

The tournament, organised by the NECDC will see the participation of six North-east Cricket Associations including Nagaland, Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. 

This was announced by Hyunilo Anilo Khing, Secretary of NCA during a press conference at the association’s office in Sovima on March 26. As the tournament’s hosts, he mentioned that the matches will be played in two different stadiums namely, the Nagaland Cricket Stadium and Sovima Cricket ground under Chümoukedima district.  

“It is a first of its kind and will go a long way in promoting the game throughout the six NE states,” he said. 

Khing added that with Assam and Tripura states already affiliated under the East Zone cricket associations, the NECDC tournament will enable the selection process for a NE team for the inter-zonal Duleep Trophy hosted by the  Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).  

Currently there exist six teams representing the North, South, East, West, Central and North-East zones under the BCCI. 

In regard to the upcoming tournament, he stated that Group A will comprise of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya while Nagaland, Mizoram and Sikkim will be competing in Group B. The first two matches of each group will be played on March 29 (from 8:45 AM onwards), between Nagaland and Mizoram at Nagaland Cricket Stadium and Arunachal Pradesh vs Meghalaya at Sovima Cricket ground. 

 “We are also expecting officials from the BCCI and the Indian Premier League (IPL) to be in attendance during the final match on April 3,” he added. Entry will be free for all spectators and as such, the NCA official encouraged the people to come and witness the event. Moreover, live streaming of the matches will be available at CricHeroes live stream youtube page. 

“The final match will be a day-night match and the prize distribution will be graced by top officials of the state both from the government as well as the various sport associations,” he noted. 

NECDC was first founded in the year 2015 under the initiative of then Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio who was its convenor. This was with the intention of inducting the six NE states as full-fledge members into the BCCI which was successfully made in 2018 with equal voting rights for all the states.  

As for the NCA, Khing stated that, “the first pledge we took was to take the game forward. It is surely growing and we’re growing in the right direction.”  Moreover, the association has been trying to engage with the youths and locals of the state in various capacities, both on and off the field,he commented.

This included the construction of concrete practice pitches in all the district headquarters and subdivisions; along with the ongoing construction of a new cricket stadium. “So far we have constructed 53 concrete practice pitches in the state,” he proclaimed.  

Nagaland Senior men’s team line up for the NECDC tournament: 
Jonathan Rongsen (Captain), Hem Bahadur Chetri, Yugandhar Singh, Sedezhalie Rupreo, Hokaito Zhimomi, Imliwati Lemtur, Hopongkyu Sangtam,Tahmeed Rahman, Nagaho Chishi, Khrievitso Kense, Renjamo Mozhui, Inakato Zhimo, Nzanthung Mozhui, Moakumzuk Tzudir and P Temsu Imchen. 

Standby players: Akavi A Yeptho and Mungkham Phom.