Tura, July 8: The highly anticipated Inter-Mahari Football Tournament commenced amidst great fervour at the Chandmari Artificial Tura Football Ground on Saturday.

Present at the opening ceremony were Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma, Executive Members of the GHADC – Nathual S Marak, Stevie M Marak, West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Jagdish Chelani, and former MLA Billykid Sangma.

To mark the beginning of the tournament, the guests were presented with saplings as a gesture of environmental awareness and sustainability.

Speaker Thomas A Sangma expressed his appreciation to the District Sports Officer, District Football Association, and District Administration for organizing such a remarkable event. In recognition of their efforts, he also announced a grant of Rs. 1 lakh.

Stevie M. Marak, the Executive Member in-charge of Sports and Youth Affairs at the GHADC, announced his contribution of Rs. 50,000 to support the tournament, further boosting the enthusiasm among the participants.

GHADC EM, Nathual S Marak, emphasized the significance of the Mahari community and highlighted how this football tournament would unite them while showcasing their talent on the field. He expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma for providing a beautiful football ground for the event. In his concluding remarks, he officially declared the Inter-Mahari Football Tournament open.

The students of St. John Secondary School, Chibragre, added a touch of grandeur to the event with their splendid band display, captivating the audience.

The tournament’s first matches kicked off with an intense face-off between Rechil and Koksi. At the end of the first half, Rechil Mahari had secured a 2-0 lead. Although Koksi made an attempt to score, the referee deemed it a foul, leading to a huge ruckus on the field but the referee controlled the situation. Rechil held on to that scoreline till the end of the match, making it their first and crucial win.

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