RAGA, Sep 7: The Kamle District Football League started here on Friday.
Boa-Simla FC defeated rivals Muri-Mugli 5-1 in the opening match.
Nine clubs from the district will vie with each other during the league for the top honour.
Attending the opening ceremony, Sports Authority of Arunachal (SAA) Chairman Bamang Tago spoke about the steps and initiatives taken by the authority for promotion and development games and sports in Arunachal.
He disclosed that the Annual State Sports Awards conceptualized by Sports & Youth Affairs Minister Dr Mohesh Chai would be organised every year to recognize and honour sports personalities and promoters.
The awards will be presented to the ‘sports association of the year’, ‘best sport organiser of the year,’ ‘coach of the year’, ‘player of the year (men & women)’, ‘sports administrator of the year’, ‘lifetime sports achievements award for promoting games and sports in the state’, and ‘sport supporting staffs of the year’, Tago said.
“This initiative has been taken to encourage all the stakeholders for development of games and sports across the state, aiming to produce sportspersons of national as well as international standard,” Tago said.
He appealed to parents, elders and all stakeholders to encourage the youths to take up sports professionally and make careers out of it.
Congratulating the Kamle District Football Association (KDFA) for conducting the event, the SAA chairman said such events provide the rural youths the opportunity to show their hidden sports talents. He advised the players to maintain sportsman spirit throughout the tournament.
Arunachal Pradesh Football Association secretary Kipa Ajay said football and badminton are the two most popular sports in Arunachal embraced by the young people.
He said the state’s junior (U-16) football team’s recent performance proved the potentials of the youth, and exuded confidence that football players from the state would continue to perform and play at national and international level events in the future.
Ajay also appealed to all the stakeholders to encourage women in sports.
Kamle DC Mingki Loye also appreciated the KDFA for organizing the league despite facing many difficulties.
KDFA president Bini Tare also spoke.
