27th Mokokchung District Football Association Trophy to begin on October 14

MOKOKCHUNG — The Mokokchung District Football Association (MDFA) announced the 27th edition of the MDFA Trophy on Saturday. The tournament will begin on October 14 at Imkongmeren Sports Complex.

The announcement was made during a press conference at the MDFA office.

Burakum, convenor of the organising committee, highlighted the prize structure, stating that the champions would receive INR 2,00,000, while the runners-up would be awarded INR 1,00,000. Losing semi-finalists would each take home INR 25,000.

He informed that five individual awards—Best Defender, Best Goalkeeper, Best Midfielder, Highest Goal Scorer, and Player of the Tournament—would each carry INR 5,000 along with citations. He added that all participating teams would be honoured with honorariums, making the MDFA Trophy 2025 more inclusive.

Also read: Australia Tour: Indian Junior women’s hockey team goes down 0-5 against Australia U21

The opening ceremony will be attended by H Sethrongkyu Sangtam, MLA and advisor for Information Technology and Communication, Economics and Statistics, and Evaluation. The closing ceremony will feature Lanuchuba Imchen, DMC councillor and president of Longterok FC, who also leads the youth wing of NDPP Dimapur Region.

Bendangnukshi, MDFA vice president (technical), said that 10 teams have already registered, with 2–3 more expected, potentially bringing the total to 13–14.

He introduced the tournament’s first-ever by-laws, which he described as a milestone for MDFA, explaining that these regulations would enhance discipline, professionalism, and the overall standard, while also guiding the MDFA technical committee and participating teams.

He further stated that the association is implementing an inclusive policy, allowing players from other districts, states, or the Northeast to join Mokokchung teams. Nagaland University has also been invited to continue the tradition of institutional participation.

The fixture draw will be held on October 6.

Bendangnukshi expressed optimism that this edition would be special for everyone, saying that the people of Mokokchung are invited to unite and celebrate football. He mentioned that more technical advancements are planned for next year to further elevate the local game.