Deputy Chief Minister T R Zeliang along with other officials and players pose for a photo during the 28th edition of the Liangmai Sports Association, held at Samziuram village in Peren on January 21.
Peren, January 21 (MExN): The 15-day 28th edition of the Liangmai Sports Association tournament of Nagaland, Manipur and Assam concluded on Tuesday at Samziuram village under Peren district, with Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister T R Zeliang attending as the special guest.
Altogether 90 teams from the three states participated in the 15-day sporting event across various disciplines.
Addressing the gathering, Zeliang urged the organisers to envision and work towards building a strong and united Zeliangrong sports movement capable of competing at the Northeast, national and international levels.
He said the dream of achieving excellence in sports was well within the reach of the Zeliangrong people but would require collective responsibility and coordinated efforts of apex sports bodies such as the Zeme Olympic Association, Liangmai Sports Association and Rongmei Sports Association.
He emphasised the need to form formidable teams that could participate in prestigious competitions such as the I-League and other national and international tournaments.
Zeliang said Zeliangrong youths possess immense talent and potential in sports, adding that the sporting history of the Zeliangrong people itself stands as testimony to this fact.
He further stated that participation in tournaments was not only about playing and winning trophies but also about fostering mutual understanding and unity among the people.
Calling upon the community to look beyond Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei identities as separate entities, Zeliang urged them to embrace the larger unity of the Zeliangrong brethren living across Nagaland, Manipur and Assam.
“Our strength lies in our unity across boundaries, and sports can serve as a powerful unifying force,” he said.
Zeliang also highlighted that the Zeliangrong people share a common ancestry and history and stressed the importance of nurturing unity through sports.
The Deputy Chief Minister assured that a sports academy would be set up at Jalukie to nurture talented youths of the state.
In the final football match, Samziuram Progressive Organisation (Nagaland) and Chiang Youth Organisation (Manipur) played a thrilling encounter, with Samziuram Progressive Organisation emerging victorious through a penalty shoot-out.
