The 25th edition of the Dr T Ao Football Tournament will be held from October 12 to 31 at the Renpo Lu Astro Turf Ground in Ungma, with the Mokokchung District Football Association (MDFA) inviting teams from all 17 districts of Nagaland to participate.
Speaking at a press conference at the Koridang Futsal Ground, Aolijen, Ungma, on Saturday, MDFA president N Akok Longkumer said the silver jubilee edition would be a significant occasion for the association and the district.
Preparations at the Renpo Lu ground are around 80 per cent complete, the organisers said, citing the contractors. They said the remaining work would be completed ahead of the tournament.
The gallery has a seating capacity of around 4,000 spectators, while temporary seating arrangements will be made for another 1,000, taking the planned capacity to approximately 5,000, the MDFA officials said.
The organising committee also plans to arrange transportation for spectators and provide live streaming of the matches.
MDFA vice-president Bendangnukshi said the association took up the responsibility of hosting the tournament in Mokokchung considering the significance of its 25th edition. He appealed to people across the State to extend their support towards the successful conduct of the tournament.
Meanwhile, selection trials for the Mokokchung district team have been conducted, with players selected from across the district. The final team list is yet to be announced. Yimya Jamir will serve as the team manager, while the association is considering bringing in coaches from outside the district or State.
The tournament mascot will be the “Orija”, a bird associated with Changki village.
The organisers said there had so far been no official communication from the Nagaland Football Association (NFA) regarding any revision in the prize money. As of now, the champions are expected to receive Rs 3 lakh, while the runners-up will receive Rs 2 lakh.
The MDFA also said the Mokokchung District Football Tournament would not be held this year due to the hosting of the Dr T Ao tournament, but would resume next year.
As part of preparations, the MDFA and NFA had visited Changki, the native village of Dr T Ao, and sought the support of the village council and residents. They also visited the Impur ABAM Mission Centre in February, where the local ground was named the Dr T Ao Ground in recognition of his association with the institution.
The organising committee was constituted in October 2025 under the leadership of Advisor for Transport and Technical Education Temjenmenba, with Imsongmeren, NCS, Director of Nagaland State Lotteries, serving as organising secretary.