[ Pisi Zauing ]
MIAO, 24 Jul: Thirty-three teams are participating in the Independence Cup Football Tournament, which got underway at the general ground here in Changlang district on 19 July.
For the first time, the matches are being played in the evenings under floodlights. Two knockout matches will be played every evening.
The winning team will take home a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, along with the running trophy, and the runner-up team will collect Rs 50,000 and a trophy.
Individual cash prizes will be given to the highest scorer, the best goalkeeper, the most disciplined team, and the best player of the tournament. The best emerging player, under 18 years of age, will also be selected.
The final match will be played on the 76th Independence Day on 15 August.
Addressing the opening ceremony, AAPSU vice president Nabum Gandhi said that the state government’s incentive to provide jobs to meritorious sportspersons “is encouraging and commendable.”
Lauding the Miao Singpho Ramma Hpung (MSRH) for organising such tournaments for both men and women simultaneously, Gandhi advised the players and other youths to “stay away from the menace of drug abuse and use your time in sports and get government jobs.”
In the opening match, defending champion UMFC defeated Lekang FC by a solitary goal.
Thirteen girls’ teams are also set to compete simultaneously for the Independence Cup. The girls’ tournament starts on 24 July, and the final match will be played on 15 August. The winner and the runner-up teams will get the same amount as cash prizes as the men’s teams.
Speaking to this correspondent, MSRH president Gamseng Singpho informed that local legislator and UD Minister Kamlung Mossang is sponsoring the two tournaments.
“The MLA has been sponsoring the Independence Cup tournaments for nearly two decades. He is our strength,” Singpho said.
