Official jerseys for the Nagaland state team were unveiled for the upcoming Dr T Ao National Junior Girls Football Championship at Chümoukedima Football Stadium.
CHÜMOUKEDIMA, NOVEMBER 18 (MExN): The official jerseys for the Nagaland state team were unveiled here on Tuesday, setting the stage for the upcoming Dr T Ao National Junior Girls Football Championship, scheduled to commence on November 22.
The jerseys were launched by W Nginyeih Konyak, Chairperson of the Nagaland State Commission for Women, at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium.
Addressing the players, Konyak shared her personal connection to the sport, recalling her own experiences playing football. She highlighted the significant shift in opportunities for women in sports, stating, “In my time, women in sports were not given the kind of opportunity that exists today. We lacked support from society.”
She urged the athletes to seize the current opportunities, emphasising that they are fortunate to witness a drastically improved landscape for women’s sports. Konyak further encouraged the young players to remember their equal rights and to pursue their sporting careers without fear.
“Dwelling on the importance of sports, she asserted that of all careers, sport is one that teaches us discipline, unity, care, and peace,” a release said.
Konyak also expressed hope that the players would go on to represent the state at national and international levels in the future. She extended gratitude to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and the Nagaland Football Association (NFA) for hosting the tournament in the state.
The championship, previously known as the “Sub-Junior Girls National Championship,” has been renamed in honour of Dr Talimeren Ao, a pioneering figure in Indian football, following the intervention of Chief Minister Rio.
The tournament will be held at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium from November 22 to December 11. Thirteen teams from Andaman & Nicobar, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Assam, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Jammu Kashmir, and hosts Nagaland are set to participate.
