[ Prafulla Kaman ]
RUKSIN, 1 Dec: The first-ever inter-district Tapor Gao Memorial Volleyball Tournament began at the playground here in East Siang district on Sunday.
Inaugurating the tournament, Mariyang-Geku MLA Oni Panyang urged the youths to utilise their physical energy in the field of sports and career-building, rather than using it in detrimental activities. He said that the objective of the players should not be limited to winning matches, but also to display a fair play, exposing their sporting talent.
Panyang appealed to the local gaon burahs and public leaders to involve the youths with sports activities to keep them out of bad habits such as consumption of narcotics, alcohol and other harmful substances.
Attending the programme, Mariyang PWD Division Executive Engineer Bom Borang suggested advised the players to maintain discipline and a sense of brotherhood, while Dambuk MLA Punyo Apum advised schoolchildren to adopt games and sports during in school and college.
103 Infantry Brigade (Rayang) Brigadier Vikash Raj Gupta said that the Indian Army organises programmes to encourage youths to join in the security forces. He asked the youths to become role models for the society through their activities in various sectors.
A total 18 teams, including two military teams – one from Rayang military stations and another from the Sigar military station (Mebo) – and two teams from the Sainik School (Niglok) and two teams from neighbouring Assam are participating in the tournament.
In the opening match of the tournament, Mikong Volleyball team (East Siang) defeated Mariyang (Upper Siang) team and entered the next round.
There was an exhibition game between two military teams – Jat Regiment (Sigar) and Spearhead Gunners (Rayang).
The final match of the tournament is scheduled to be held on 5 December.
The champion team of the volleyball tournament will be awarded Rs 1 lakh with a trophy and the runner-up team will get Rs 70,000 along with a trophy.
Moreover, the organisers will award the best player and other achievers with a cash prize of Rs 10,000 along with mementoes to each of them.
The volleyball tournament is sponsored by Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao and his family in memory of his late father (Tapor Gao). It is organised by the Tapor Gao Memorial Volleyball Tournament Committee of Ruksin under the aegis of the East Siang District Volleyball Association.
Late Tapor Gao, father of MP Tapir Gao, had served as a gaon burah after the Indo-China war (1962) and worked for extension of primary education in the Siang belt.
Colourful patriotic song and dance performed by students of the Rayang KGVB was another attraction of the inaugural function.
