A stalwart of sports and education
Pelezotuo Atuo Mezhür Sekhose, former caretaker of the 2nd World War Cemetery in Kohima and proprietor of Mezhür Higher Secondary School, passed away on June 13 following a prolonged illness. He was 76.
A respected figure in education, sports administration, and public service, Mezhür was widely known for his decades-long contributions to the state and country. Born on May 20, 1948, to Samuel and Banuo Mezhür, he was the second among seven siblings.
He served as the Regional Manager of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (North East Region) from 1986 to 2008, during which time he also looked after the maintenance of the Kohima War Cemetery, one of the most visited heritage sites in Nagaland.
Mezhür was also the Managing Director and Proprietor of Mezhür Higher Secondary School, Midland, Kohima, an institution established by his father in 1958. Under his leadership, the school became one of the most prominent educational institutions in the capital.
In the field of sports, Mezhür held several significant leadership roles. He served as Vice President of the All India Football Federation (2000–2008), President of the Nagaland Football Association (1998–2020), General Secretary of the Nagaland Olympic Association (1988–2002), and President of the Nagaland Table Tennis Association from 1997 until his passing. He also served as State Commissioner and later State Chief Commissioner of the Nagaland Bharat Scouts and Guides.
Internationally, he led Indian football contingents as Chef-de-Mission during overseas tours, including the U-21 team to Mauritius in 1998 and the U-19 team to Northern Ireland and England in 2004, where the Indian team lifted the Ian Rush Trophy. He also represented India at the FIFA Conference in Sydney in 2008 and completed FIFA’s Football Management Training in Thailand in 2002.
In a condolence message issued by the Nagaland Olympic Association on June 13, NOA Secretary General Abu Metha described Mezhür as a visionary and a pillar of sports leadership in Nagaland.
“His name will forever be remembered with gratitude, etched in golden letters in the annals of Nagaland’s sporting history,” the message stated.
Mezhür also briefly entered electoral politics, contesting the 1977 Nagaland Legislative Assembly elections from the 9-Kohima Town Constituency. In church service, he served as Chairman of the Executive Council of the Baptist Mission Church, Kohima, from 2020 to 2023.