As the 6th Mokokchung Inter-Ward Football Tournament 2025, organized by the Marepkong Youth Association and held at Imkongmeren Sports Complex, enters its quarter-final stage on March 31, the organizers remain optimistic about its progress.
Speaking to MT, Talinungsang, Media and Publicity Convenor, and Bendangsunep, Co-Convenor of the Organizing Committee, expressed their satisfaction with the increasing number of spectators and the improvement in the quality of football over the past six editions.
“The tournament began with the objective of promoting local talent within Mokokchung, and we have witnessed tangible achievements,” they said. “In the ongoing Nagaland Super League, six players who participated in our tournament over the years are now playing at that level, and we are happy to see that.”
The organizers also highlighted their efforts in providing professional coaching in collaboration with the Nagaland Football Coaches Association. Additionally, through the 2024 tournament, they have selected three players for advanced training in Guwahati.
To accommodate young footballers, especially students, the tournament has been scheduled after the Class 11 and 12 examinations. “This is a time when they have completed their exams, and if they are interested, they can participate,” the duo explained, adding that many players of that age group are competing in the ongoing tournament.
Towards financial self-sustainability
The organizers aim to make the tournament self-sustaining, targeting a corpus fund of Rs 20 lakh. “Every year, we save a portion of the revenue generated during the tournament. We have now reached about 70% of our target,” they confirmed.
This year, as part of the Marepkong Youth Association’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, the tournament will not share ticket revenue with the wards, a decision made in mutual understanding with the participating teams.
Hopes for full participation
Speaking on the support from the wards, the organizers expressed their gratitude for the encouragement, support and participation of the various wards. They acknowledged the commitment of the wards in making the tournament a success and hoped that one day, all 18 wards of Mokokchung will participate in a single edition of the tournament.
“So far, we have seen participation from all 18 wards, but not in a single tournament edition. We hope to witness a year where every ward competes together, making it a truly inclusive and representative event,” they said.
The organizers also urged the respective wards to be more specific in their team selections, stressing the importance of picking players who belong to their wards alone. “This year as well, we scrutinized the players’ lists and had to make some rejections. Mokokchung is a small place, and players can easily identify when someone does not belong to a particular ward,” they explained.
Maintaining discipline, improving standards
Despite the challenges, they expressed their satisfaction that no untoward incidents have occurred in the tournament so far. They attributed this to the discipline committee, which consists of five wards selected on a rotational basis to ensure order and fairness.
Speaking on the challenges faced in organizing the tournament, they highlighted that ground maintenance remains the biggest obstacle.
Regarding the quality of football, the organizers shared their vision for the future, expressing their hope that, eventually, all wards will have coaches with AFC (Asian Football Confederation) or AIFF (All India Football Federation) licenses. “Right now, many wards are struggling to even find enough players, so this is not possible yet. However, we have plans to implement it in the future,” they said.
Growing competition
Reflecting on the competitive nature of the tournament, they noted that both quality and competitiveness have improved significantly.
“In the past five editions, we have had four different champions, which speaks volumes about the level of competition. For instance, last year’s champions, Arkong Ward, were knocked out in the league stage this year. That alone shows how competitive the tournament has become.”
They also observed that crowd attendance fluctuates depending on which wards are playing, but overall, spectator numbers have been steadily increasing.
On the role of MDFA
Although the tournament is not played under the aegis of the Mokokchung District Football Association (MDFA), the organizers acknowledged MDFA’s support and expressed gratitude for their encouragement. They also stated that they look forward to associating with MDFA in the future.
