The Mokokchung District Football Association’s latest announcement that the district’s biggest regular sporting event, the MDFA Trophy, will be open to all the clubs from across Nagaland came as a pleasant surprise. The decision to keep the tournament open to any club from anywhere in Nagaland, coupled with the decision to allow the clubs to recruit any player from anywhere in the world, in any number indicates a major shift in the outlook of the MDFA. To be brutally honest, all’s not well with the MDFA. However, this decision might just be the one decision that will salvage MDFA’s legacy as not only one of the oldest football associations in Nagaland but also the strongest one in Mokokchung. That is, if the decision works out as planned. There will always be the pros and the cons to any decision that we make but let us give the benefit of doubt to MDFA on this matter. Let all football lovers and sport enthusiasts support the MDFA and we’ll see where we get in time.
Having said that, it is pertinent to note here that the focus of MDFA should not be limited to the once-in-a-year tournament alone. Now that the district’s biggest tournament is being turned into a state-level tournament, it is only fair for the district’s local players to be given an opportunity that is exclusively theirs. MDFA should organize or at least facilitate the organization of official and competitive football tournaments in various categories like inter-school tournaments, U-14, U-16, U-19, U-21 and so on. MDFA must also bring the fast-growing futsal variant of football under its ambit. Another area where the MDFA should focus on is women’s football. Besides, it is a must for MDFA to organize coaching camps for youngsters and focus on the grassroots. It must also focus on producing an adequate number of trained coaches in the district. Moreover, MDFA must also work on developing football infrastructure in the district.
Apart from the mentioned suggestions, MDFA must also further strengthen its organizational setup, keep it democratic, and ensure transparency in its functioning. It must also consolidate and strengthen its financial position. All of these, among others, will help establish a thriving footballing ecosystem. Once the right ecosystem is created, everything else will follow naturally.
