Shillong, Aug 27: The North East Football Development Council (NEFDC) is exploring exciting initiatives to grow and strengthen football in the North East states, including an under-consideration inter-club league and a renewed Dr T Ao Football Tournament at the state level.

A meeting of the NEFDC was held here on Monday evening, hosted by the Meghalaya Football Association (MFA), to discuss these and other important matters.

Lalnghinglova Hmar, President of the NEFDC and Minister of Sports and Youth Services of Mizoram, chaired the meeting, which was attended by NEFDC General Secretary Kipa Ajay, Senior Vice-President Menla Ethenpa, Vice-President Hamletson Dohling (who is also the MFA President), Treasurer Neibou Sekhose and other Executive Members.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Hmar said that the NEFDC brings together the North East states not to compete against but to help each other through cooperation, communication and sharing of best practices, as they are at different levels in terms of football development.

“There’s a brotherhood that brings us together to lift this game in this beautiful region,” he said.

The club franchise league under consideration, which will also have a youth component, is still in a nascent stage but discussions are ongoing to create a league dedicated to the football-loving population of the North East, a region that has been driving much of the growth in Indian football, at the club level and also through India’s international teams.

Regarding the Dr T Ao Football Tournament for state teams, Hmar said that this event was begun by the North Eastern Council (NEC) in 2009 but has been dormant since the Covid-19 pandemic. The NEFDC intends to discuss with the NEC and the central government’s Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) to restart it.

The NEFDC will also request the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to name one of its national tournaments after the late great Dr Talimeren Ao. Not only was Dr Ao the first captain of independent India’s football team but he was also India’s flagbearer at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. “Dr T Ao (who hailed from what is now Nagaland) represented all of us as the North East was undivided back then,” Hmar said.

North East Football Development Council office bearers for 2024-28:
President – Lalnghinglova Hmar
General Secretary – Kipa Ajay
Senior Vice-President – Menla Ethenpa
Vice-President – Hamletson Dohling
Vice-President – M Ratan Kr Singh
Treasurer – Neibou Sekhose
Assistant General Secretary – Dr Sangrang Brahma
Executive Members – Amit Chaudhuri, Benel M Lamthiu, Gebin Kato, L Jyotirmoy Roy, Phurba Sherpa, Hiren Gogoi, Lalrengpuia, Cliff Nongrum

Also Read: Building Bridges: Meghalaya’s PRIME Hub eyes collaboration with Austria

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