Dimapur, Jan 27 (MExN): Nagaland BJP wants Dimapur District Sports Stadium in Dimapur to be named after trailblazing Naga footballer Dr T Ao in honor of the laurels he brought to the people of Nagaland and as much for the reason that merit should be encouraged.
“The achievements of Dr T Ao are manifold and outstanding for which, he was duly recognized and honored in several places outside Nagaland; it is ironical that the same honor has not been accorded to him in his own homeland” stated a memorandum to Nagaland Chief Minister from BJP (Youth) executives. According to the note, this would set a “sad” example for meritorious citizens and deter them from conquering new heights. “Merits have to be encouraged in the society. In the light of his achievements in his lifetime which brought honor and glory to the Nagas, the BJP (Youth) Nagaland request that the DDSC stadium at Golaghat, Dimapur be named after him” the BJP youth appealed.
Dr T Ao in his lifetime was awarded the Mohan Bagan Centenary Award (July 2002) while the Royal Club of Kohima honored him in 2002 posthumously. In Siliguri, a monument has been erected in his honor while an outdoor stadium in Kalibor and another in Cotton College, Guwahati, Asom has been named after him.
Dr T Ao was born on January 28, 1918. Completing his Class VI from Impur Mission School, Dr T Ao continued studies in Jorhat Mission School till the Matrics. He then joined Cotton College for his science degree and finally to RG Kar medical college for MBBS. During an Assam inter-school tournament, he was awarded the best sportsman trophy. In athletics he also won individual champion prizes from Calcutta University for two years, 1946 and 1947. In Calcutta (now Kolkata) he joined the Mohan Bagan. I 1948 he captained the Indian football team to the London Olympics and to the far east in 1951. He retired from active sports after this.
In 1950, he was the first and only Naga MBBS graduate to pass and join the Dibrugarh medical College and in 1952 as Registrar (ENT). He then joined Naga Civil Hospital Kohima as Assistant Surgeon. He retired from the medical services as director of Health services in 1978. The great soul passed away on September 31, 1998.
