IMPHAL, July 17: A 15 day long football development programme for under 12-14 boys was inaugurated yesterday organized by the District Sports Association, Tamenglong under the aegis of the All Manipur Football Association at Lower Ground/ Mini stadium, Tamenglong headquarter.
The programme which is being organized for the first time in the district, is part of the annual development programme of the state football body.
During the opening day, AMFA distributed uniforms and balls to 50 boys who will be participating in the programme. The balls will be collected back by the AMFA at the end of the programme.
The programme will be coached by AFC ‘C’ licence holders coach Th Shivadutta and L Engam Khuman.
During the 15 days, the boys will be coached on the basic of football. However, AMFA is likely to organize another phase of development programme with the main emphasis on girls in the district in the near future.
AMFA assistant general secretary, L Jyotimoi Roy, executive council, member Khongkham Hemandro (Momo), AMFA member Salam Nabakumar, DSA Tamenglong president R Adi, secretary Rama Gangmei and other members of the district association attended the opening function.
Meanwhile, during the function, AMFA member S Nabakumar announced that he will donate a computer set to the district body during the concluding function of the programme on August 3.
Speaking to this IFP reporter, DSA, Tamenglong president R Adi lamented that the play field where the programme is being conducted is not in the best of shape and that the tin roofs of the gallery are also leaking. The district association has appealed to the authorities to look into the issue but to no avail, he added.
He also appealed to the concern authorities to look into the issue.
He further expressed his desire for the AMFA to organized longer programmes so as to get the desired development.
DSA, Tamenglong secretary, Rama Gangmei expressed his gratitude to AMFA for choosing Tamenglong as the first district among the Hills districts for such programme.
He added that the programme has already encouraged young players of the district to come out.
He also expressed his believe that organizing such programmes will produce several international and national players from the district.
Citing that the district has never witnessed a state level football tournament in the past, he expressed his desire to organize one such tournament under the aegis of the state association.
He also expressed that the district body will appeal to the state body to organized a inter district junior boys football tournament during September-October in the district.
The biggest football tournament organized in the district is the Independence trophy held on August 15 with donations and help from government officers of the district.
There has been a long gap since the teams from the district has participated in any forms of inter-district tournaments and so if the district manage to host such tournaments, then teams from the district would be able to participate.
AMFA assistant general secretary, L Jyotimoi Roy told this IFP reporter the presence of 50 players in the first phase of such programmes is a success in itself.
When asked about organizing such programmes in the district, he replied that the programme is being conducted with the hope of producing more players from the hill districts. AMFA will be conducting such programmes in all the other hill districts in the near future.