MIAO, Jan 16: A group of youths from Namphai circle in Changlang district organized a winter cricket cup tournament from 15 to 23 January at the public ground in Neotan village.
The main objective of the tournament themed ‘Yes to Sports, Yes to Life’, is to dissuade the youth from unproductive activities, drugs abuse and joining anti social elements, especially during this post harvest festive season.
Speaking at the inauguration function, Felix Anthony, the Youth Director of East Arunachal, appreciated the youth for their initiative and encouraged them to take up more social issues that have plagued the society these days.
“The beauty of Arunachal Pradesh, fortunately, is still not diluted by outside forces. The rich cultures, dialects and customs are still intact. But sadly, most of the youth today have fallen into the grip of drugs, especially in Changlang, Namsai and Lohit districts,” he said.
He appealed to the youths to make a difference in the society. A progressively healthy youth means a healthy society, he added.
James Mossang, a post-graduate student and the leader of the youth group, and his team expressed their willingness to make this tournament a regular annual event to bring more youth from the remote corners of the circle.
“The main reason for youth going astray is lack of guidance and a suppressed need to get recognized. Without proper guidance, the desire to be recognized leads them, at times, to join anti social groups in most cases”, said the youth leader.
There are 18 teams participating in this inaugural edition of the tournament.
