NAMSAI, 4 Mar: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein attended the closing ceremony of the first edition of the Late Chow Inkalit Mannou Memorial Football Tournament at the APIL ground here on Monday.
The tournament was held in memory of the late Chow Inkalit Mannou, a respected educator and a community leader who made enormous contributions in the field of education and preservation of the Tai Khamti literature.
Late Mannou was a first-batch graduate from Jawaharlal Nehru College, Pasighat, and served the people of the state as a devoted teacher. He retired as the principal of the government higher secondary school, Tezu, and after retirement served the society as adviser to the Chongkham Village Council and the Tai Khamti Singpho Council in Namsai district, besides working for the welfare and upliftment of the society. He played a pivotal role in the modification of new Tai Khamti tonal script.
In his address, the DCM acknowledged the invaluable contributions of late Mannou to the upliftment of education and preservation of the Tai Khamti literature. “The tournament stands as a tribute to Mannou’s enduring legacy, and celebrates his lifelong commitment to the growth and wellbeing of his community,” Mein said.
He also lauded the Mannou family for providing a platform to the youths of the area to showcase their talents.
He later gave away the trophies to the winning teams and congratulated the teams, individual players, organisers, and volunteers for their collective efforts in making the tournament a success.
Lekang Sports Club emerged the champions of the tournament, displaying exceptional skill and teamwork throughout the competition. They took the trophy with 2-0 goals against Tezu Bazaar Football Club, who emerged runner-up.
Lekang Sports Club was awarded a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 2 lakhs, while the runner-up team was awarded a trophy with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.
Also present in the occasion were MLAs Dr Mohesh Chai and Zingnu Namchoom, former minister Nokul Chai, retired commissioner Tape Bagra, IGP PN Khrimey, and others. (DCM’s PR Cell)