R Lester Makang Ukhrul | December 2 Patkai Christian Academy (PCA) on Saturday announced its upcoming District Level Inter-School Winter Football Coaching Camp to be held at the PCA Playground, Changraphung in Ukhrul district. Addressing media persons during a news conference held at the PCA campus Changraphung, Principal Aton Lunghar and his academic staff members announced that the date for the upcoming camp is from December 9 to 20 and informed that North East Council (NEC) is sponsoring the 12-day coaching camp with technical support from SAI Imphal. Camp director Khareithan Phungchamnao conveyed that the upcoming camp is placed in line with PCA's approach to education, which is blending it with proper athletic discipline to make the learning process more rewarding. According to Phungchamnao, the camp is scheduled in such a way that students do not waste the winter break but make use of it to hone their footballing skills. "The camp is open to 80 individual high school players from standard lll to lX from different schools in the district. The cost of registration is only Rs. 350 per player and last date of form submission is December 5," he said. He informed that participants will receive a range of facilities including free food, lodging, uniform and others, except boots, blankets, pillows, bedspreads and toiletries. A team of former soccer professionals including Reisangmi Vashum of East Bengal team, Charan Rai of EB, Churchill Brothers, Tharngachan Tungshangnao of Mohamedan Sporting, Ninglum Zimik AIFF D-Licence, Khareithan Phungchamnao AIFF D-Licence, Angaritsing Zimik AIFF D-Licence, and Sochipem Shimray Sports Incharge PCA will be among the instructors, apart from a coach to be deputed by SAI, Northeast Regional Center to aid in the instruction of campers. "These professional coaches will give basic techniques to the campers, comprising both theory and practical learning," he said. It may be recalled that PCA first came up with first initiative in the form of summer soccer coaching camp back in 2014. More recently, PCA team represented West Bengal & Region Group in the XXI ASISC National Football Tournament 2017 at Kolkata and won the third title in September this year. Principal Aton Lunghar said that the school believes in going beyond the academic studies, and added that: "Our focus is not on text book-oriented knowledge but on overall development of the students with sports discipline as a crucial part of the process."
