The 13th Luke Sasong Memorial Volleyball Trophy 2024 will be held from 21 to 23 August at Multi-purpose Sports Complex, Mokokchung, organized by the Luka Sasong Sporting Association under the aegis of the Mangmetong Students’ under the theme ‘Unity through Sports’.
One of the emergent major volleyball tournaments in the district, the biennial tournament will be played on the league-cum-knockout format with twelve teams in the fray. These teams are divided into four pools, with three teams in each pool. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals. The semifinals and final match will take place on the third day of the tournament.
First organized in 1986, the tournament was initially a football competition played at Mangmetong village but was switched to volleyball competition from the ninth edition of the tourney and this is the second time that the tournament is being played in Mokokchung town after shifting the venue.
MH-10 Kohima are the defending champions of the tournament who lifted the trophy in 2022 after defeating arch rivals Changtongya Volleyball Association.
This year, the two rivals are grouped in the same pool along with a team from Mokokchung’s Sungkomen ward. If both teams advance to the knockout stage, we might see a rematch of the last edition’s epic final match. However, Sungkomen very recently won the Mokokchung town inter-ward volleyball tournament and is not a team to be written off. Further, there are other strong teams participating in the tournament from various parts of Mokokchung and beyond. Winners of the 16th Imchaba Master Memorial Nagaland Open Volleyball Trophy 2023, Ozumi Volleyball Team, who defeated the then defending champions, MH10, in a nail-biting five-set thriller also features in the tournament. Besides, there are teams from Waromung, Dimapur, Ungma, Chungtia, Mangmetong, Changki, Yisemyong, and Wokha, which the famous arch-rivals in the Nagaland volleyball scene must overcome to settle their scores.
The tournament offers a cash prize of Rs 70,000 for the winners, Rs 40,000 for the runners-up, and Rs 10,000 each for the two losing semifinalists. Individual awards include Rs 5,000 each for the Best Spiker, Best Setter, and Player of the Tournament.
The inaugural function of the tournament will be held at 11:00 am on 21 August with president of the Mokokchung District Volleyball Association (MDVA), Imtipokyim as the guest of honor.
On 23 August, the closing function will be held at 6:00 pm with N Jamonger Ao, District Civil Supply Officer, Mokokchung as the guest of honor, followed by the final match.
