Arunachal: Nani Tagio Memorial Football Tournament -2022 kickoff
Let us promote LSD as footballers’ haven: DC Lower Subansiri
ZIRO- Let us all work together in promoting football, the most loved universal game and make Lower Subansiri District the haven of football, said Lower Subansiri Deputy Commissioner Bamin Nime at Padi Yube Outdoor Stadium here today.
Kicking-off the fourth edition of District level Nani Tagio Memorial Football Tournament 2022, chief guest DC Nime said that District Administration would actively cooperate in the FIFA campaign of football for schools and urged to produce more of Gyamar Nyikums from the District to play with professional clubs and at national levels.
Also Read- Apatani’s Unique Hong Village in Ziro Valley
Urging for a Drug Free Ziro, Nime also sought cooperation from the parents, the District Football Association and the Lower Subansiri police to strictly enforce the slogan of ‘Ziro-Drug-Zero’.
Extending best wishes to the eight participating clubs from the District including F.C Tesla, Param Putu Circle FC, Chalo Jawan Club, Ajin Arum Yerkum, Ziro Veteran FC, HDFC, Yapung Yaper FC and BHMS-XI, Nime informed that the State Level Tadar Tang Memorial Football Tournament would also be played at Ziro from 3rd December and best players from NTMFT would be selected to represent the District at the prestigious tournament.
Guest of honour and newly elected All India Football Association secretary Kipa Ajay informed that FIFA had also selected Lower Subansiri District in its campaign for football for schools where 200 schools would be selected from the state with players in the age group of 6 to 13 years whom FIFA would provide free football coaching through video conferencing.
Also Read- ZIRO, where nature and traditions are still alive
While appealing the players to adhere to the theme of Arunachal Football Association’s ‘Drug Free Arunachal Pradesh-Let’s Play Football’, Ajay also informed that the under-16 Dera Natung State Level Football Tournament would be held at Lohit District soon.
In his keynote address, former Ziro MLA Nani Ribia informed that chief guest designate Minister WRD, Sports & Youth Affairs Mama Natung and guest of honour and Tali MLA Jikke Tako could not make it to the programme as their chopper could not take off from Naharlagun due to inclement weather.
Thanking the sponsors for reviving the popular football tournament after 32 long years, Ribia informed that the first NTMT was played in 1988 and subsequently three more tournaments were played but it got disrupted in between due to poor financial position of the organizers and apprehensions of law and order problem in the late 80’s and early 90’s in which football was at a nascent stage in the District.
Also expressing gratefulness to Arunachal Football Association (AFA) and the Lower Subansiri Football Association (LSFA) for their supports in reviving back the tournament, Ribia appealed AFA to convince the state Govt. to make NTMDFT as an annual calendar based football tournament at the District level.
On the occasion, former committee members of the earlier tournaments were felicitated and cultural items presented by Nishi and Apatani cultural groups. The final match of the tournament would be played on 2nd December next. Besides the trophies, the winning team would pocket Rs 1 lakh cash while the runners-up would pocket Rs 70,000/-, best fair play team Rs 30,000/- and best individual players would be rewarded Rs 5 thousand each.
