Shillong, June 14: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Saturday inaugurated the Fourth Division League of the Shillong Sports Association (SSA), reiterating the state government’s commitment to promoting football and positioning Meghalaya as a football capital of India.

The Fourth Division is an Under-20 league format, featuring participation from 29 teams. At the end of the season, the top two teams will earn promotion to the Third Division.

The first match was played between Thynroid SC versus Golflink SC.

Addressing the gathering on Saturday at the SSA Stadium in Polo, Sangma outlined the broader football vision for the state, stating, “Meghalaya has a target to make Meghalaya and Shillong as the football capital of the country and in order to achieve this goal, many, many activities are taking place throughout the state.”

He listed various government initiatives, including construction of artificial and natural turf stadiums, the Chief Minister’s Football Mission, the upcoming football stadium at Mawkynroh—touted to be the largest in the country—and a national-level football academy.

“We have a very large plan for Meghalaya and what we are doing here today is a very, very important part of that,” Sangma added.

He also announced continued financial support for the tournament, stating, “We had supported this tournament last year from my Chief Minister’s special grant with an amount of about 28 plus lakhs. And this year also I have been requested to support this tournament and I am happy to announce that I will be giving the amount of about 30 lakhs.”

“I will be sanctioning 30 lakhs to conduct this tournament which will of course support SSA and all the teams that are participating here today,” he said.

SSA, which comprises over 95 affiliated clubs, will kick off the season with the Fourth Division Under-20 League, followed by the senior men’s divisions: Third Division, Second Division, First Division, and the elite Shillong Premier League (SPL). The calendar also includes a dedicated Women’s League and grassroots football leagues for age groups Under-10 to Under-14, scheduled during the winter months.

This year, SSA is set to launch the inaugural Champions League Tournament, a new competition that will see the champions and runners-up from all men’s divisions compete against each other—a move aimed at raising competitive standards and giving top-performing clubs wider exposure.

The SSA remains the only association in the state to consistently conduct football leagues across multiple divisions, contributing significantly to football development in Meghalaya. “Our leagues may not have produced many, but they’ve produced some of the finest footballers who have gone on to represent the state and even the country,” an SSA official stated.

Notably, the impact of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma’s support was also highlighted. Prior to last season, the SPL champions were awarded ₹3 lakh in prize money. However, following financial assistance from the CM’s Special Development Fund, the last season’s winners (Shillong Lajong FC), received ₹6 lakh, doubling the reward and raising the tournament’s prestige.

Present at the inauguration of the Fourth Division League were Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Dipshon L. Nongbri (Honorary General Secretary, SSA), Robert Dkhar (Working President, SSA), Finely Pariat (Secretary, Meghalaya State Olympic Association), Daniel M. Thangkhiew (OSD to CM and Vice President, SSA), the players of all teams participated in the Fourth Division and other dignitaries.

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