The 22nd Dr. T. Ao Inter District Football Tournament will be held in Mokokchung which is scheduled to begin on April 19. All 16 districts of Nagaland are expected to participate in the state’s biggest football tournament, including the recently inaugurated ones.
The tournament also coincides with the golden jubilee year of Nagaland Football Association, of which Dr. T. Ao was the first president. The Mokokchung District Football Association is one of the strongest and most consistent district football associations in Nagaland. Therefore, it is appropriate that the tournament is being held in Mokokchung.
Being held in the land of pioneers, all the participating teams will be expecting the best in Mokokchung. As rightly stated by the president of Nagaland Football Association, this is an opportunity as well as a challenge for Mokokchung.
The successful conduct of the tournament will of course depend on the organizing committee. And the organizing committee requires the goodwill and support of the people. That means, it requires the goodwill and support of all the people of Mokokchung. Unfortunately, it is observed that the people of Mokokchung have lost the enthusiasm and vibrancy that was once so visible in the not so distant past.
The whole community, particularly the sporting community, should come forward with broadmindedness and support the MDFA at this juncture. We are only as strong as we are united. This is the first time in a very long time that a major state sports event is coming to Mokokchung and it is a great opportunity to not only showcase Mokokchung but also to prove our worth.
If Mokokchung can host this tournament to the expectation of Nagaland, then it will naturally follow that the next real football stadium will have to be built in Mokokchung. If Mokokchung is to squander this opportunity, then it will be very difficult to claim a stadium to be built here because there are other contenders. In order to claim, or even demand, a real football stadium, we must first of all prove that we deserve it and this tournament is the perfect opportunity for Mokokchung to prove just that.
Organizing the tournament is not limited to the playground. More than 400 athletes and support staff will be in Mokokchung representing the other 15 teams. It will require logistics, management and finance to host the guests. It is hoped that the organizers have planned it all out well and that the brand image of Mokokchung as a progressive district is preserved. Let everyone involved in organizing this tournament give their best. There are people silently supporting you.
