[Prafulla Kaman]
RUKSIN, 3 Feb: The 27th edition of the Ligang Cricket (T-20) Tournament began at Oyan village playground in East Siang district on Monday.
Batting first in the opening match, Sanggo Oyan team scored 234 runs, losing all wickets in 19 overs and set the opponent team Borguly Cricket Club (Mebo) a competitive 235-run target to win. But the Borguly team could manage to score only 87 runs, losing all wickets.
The cricket tournament is an annual event organised by the Ligang Cricket Committee of Oyan and scheduled on the eve of Ali-Aye-Ligang festival, the main festival of the Mising tribe.
A total of 20 cricket teams from different Arunachal districts and neighbouring Assam are participating in the tournament, informed organising committee chairman Suraj Pait.
The champion will be awarded a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000 with a trophy while the runner-up team will be given Rs. 40,000 with a trophy.
Addressing the gathering at the opening ceremony of the tournament, Pasighat East MLA Tapi Darang suggested young players to build their career in the field of sports. He expressed hope that involvement of the youths with games and sports would keep them away from narcotics and drugs intake habits.
Darang put emphasis on ‘expertise development’ on a particular trade for career building.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Director of Women & Child Development (Changlang) Onyok Panyang encouraged the players to adopt games and sports for physical and mental development.
Among others, DFO Boken Pao, Pasighat Municipal Council Chief Tagom Padung, Sille-Oyan Circle Officer Dubom Apang, former Oyan ZPM Bimol Lego, Head GB Jatin Bori and women SHG members witnessed the opening ceremony.
The final match of the tournament is scheduled on 15 February, on the day of Ali-Aye-Ligang festival celebration.
