A 21-year-old tech enthusiast from Mokokchung, Limaonen Jamir, has developed an indigenous volleyball scoreboard app that is being used at the ongoing 18th Imchaba Master Memorial Volleyball Trophy 2025, offering a locally built, cost-effective solution for tournament management.
Limaonen, a B-Tech first year in Electronics and Communication Engineering at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, began developing the app in September 2024 by combining his passion for volleyball and coding. The app features a user-friendly scoreboard and control panel, allowing customization of points, timers, timeouts, and team or tournament information. It runs entirely offline, is free from ads, and is open-source, with plans for a downloadable version in the future.
According to Lima, the idea originated after learning that his father’s association was spending nearly Rs 10,000 annually on renting electronic scoreboards for local tournaments. “I thought we could develop our own software and put the money to better use,” he told MT.
His father, Pokyim Jamir, who is also the president of the Mokokchung District Volleyball Association (MDVA), and is organizing the ongoing 18th Imchaba Master Memorial Volleyball Trophy 2025 confirmed that the app has been successfully implemented in the current tournament.
Lima began working on the app in mid-September 2024, despite admitting limited coding experience. “I had some knowledge of Python and Java and had done small projects in school, but I had never attempted something of this scale. With help from friends on Discord, Reddit, and Github, I started the blueprints of the software.”
The development journey was not without challenges. Lima explained, “The buzzer not working when the timer hit zero was the hardest problem. It took me a week to fix. There were also issues with the user interface and corrupted save files. At one point, I had to start everything from scratch. Balancing academics and the project was difficult as well.”
By January 2025, Lima had completed the core functionalities of the app, making further refinements by August after testing with technically proficient referees.
“This project has taught me a lot,” Lima said. “Technically, it strengthened my coding skills, and personally, it taught me persistence. There were setbacks and failures, but never giving up was key. I plan to add keyboard shortcuts, a live clock, and develop scoreboards for other sports in the future.”
Lima also emphasized the potential of technology to uplift local tournaments. “If Nagas develop our own programs for live broadcasting and scoring, it will inspire more young developers to take up the field and create solutions tailored to our needs. My advice to creative youths is to work on projects that address societal needs and create cost-effective, indigenous alternatives.”
Seeing his app in action during real volleyball matches has been a gratifying experience. “Just days before the debut, I was worried about crashes or malfunctions. Seeing it work smoothly has been extremely satisfying. This is my first completed software, and it feels great to see it make an impact.”