Football extravagance replicating World Cup at home
Morung Express News
Kohima | August 14
The World Cup, the single-biggest global sporting event, leaves on-and-off the pitch reminiscences for fans and touches every small corner around the world. The fervor is being kept alive in a planned and well-organized manner as the 7th edition of the two-day ‘Phesa World Cup, A Replica’ got underway here at St. Paul School Stadium under the theme ‘Connecting Phesama.’
More than a thousand village folks welcomed guests and football fans by colourfully thronging the highway, sporting country jerseys, painted faces, beating drums alongside country anthems being played.
Vekhosa Chakhesang, Sr. SP, Kohima who graced the inaugural function as special guest while lauding the village for organizing the meet urged the folks to incorporate the good and ethical ideas of the World Cup while keeping away from unsocial and dark elements that are witnessed during the World Cup season. He also reminded that our forefathers had high regard for sports and recreation while also respected and took pride in it. He therefore, urged upon the player to inhabit the same spirit of our forefathers to any game we play.
Vizokho Zashumo, Convenor, Organizing Committee, delivering the keynote address expounded Phesama Village as “a village that loves sports and particularly passionate for football.” Further enunciating the theme, ‘Connecting Phesama’, he added that “it is envisioned to enhance unity among the villagers, bind and bring together people of the village and the nearby villages and region.”
Vipu Zashumo, who also chaired the opening ceremony speaking on the inception said that reminiscing 1994 were village fans of Italy and Brazil taking to the National highways for a “friendly and playful match and although very informal and loosely organized was the inception of the Phesa World Cup.” Since then, after a culmination of every World Cup abroad, Phesama organized a mini world cup at home.
Breaking the notion of keeping oneself bounded and limited to one’s own clans/khels in the village, he iterated that this event is dedicated to letting folks stretch their boundaries and join the country of their choice.
This 7th edition of the Phesa World Cup is featuring six strong favourite countries Brazil, Japan, Spain, England, Argentina and loyal fans of Italy who didn’t qualify this year’s World Cup. Grouped in two, Japan, Brazil and Argentina are in slot one while Spain, Italy England in the other slot.
Japan and Argentina in group A has advanced to semi-finals with three and six points each and Meanwhile, Spain in group B has also qualified to semi-finals with six points.
Other than the trophy which is made out of the plaster of Paris and a replica of this year’s World Cup trophy, other individual trophies include the Golden Boot, Golden Ball, Golden Glove and the Young Player award.
