Our Correspondent
Jakhama, Feb. 23 (EMN): Striker Vichüsa Sale’s brace in the second half helped Kigwema beat Kidima 2-1in the final match to emerge as champions of the football competition at the 59th Southern Angami Sports Association (SASA) annual sports meet, played at Jakhama local ground in Kohima on Tuesday.
Despite Kidima taking the lead after the breather through talisman Dupisa Pucho, who broke the deadlock with an assist from Zadutol Phinyo, Kigwema was quick enough to score two successive goals through Sale to clinch the coveted trophy.
Kidima’s only goal was tied when Sale found the much needed equaliser with assist given by Mezhüvito Yhokha, while the striker booted the winning goal after Shürhotolie Pfukha balanced him the ball to score making it 2-1 until the final whistle in favour of Kigwema.
On the road to the final, Kigwema who received bye in the beginning, defeated Mima by a solitary goal in their first match while they edged out Jakhama via tie-breaker in the second semi-final match.
On their way to the final, Kidima hammered Mitelephe 10-0 in their first match while they trounced Kezo Basa 8-0 in their quarter-final match before defeating Phesama in the penalty shoot-out with a 4-2 margin to enter the final.
Winning the game, Kigwema received INR 30,000 with a glittering trophy as the champions while Kidima pocketed INR 20,000 as the runner-up along with a trophy.
Jakhama and Phesama pocketed INR 5,000 each with citations as the two semi-finalists.
Meanwhile in the individual category, Dupisa Pucho of Kidima bagged the highest scorer award with 11 goals and received INR 3,000 along with a citation.
Nothongol Zhotso of Jakhama was adjudged the best goalkeeper while Vichüsa Sale of Kigwema was declared the player of the tournament. Both players also received INR 3,000 each with citations.
In the volleyball competition, Kidima lifted the championship title by a third-straight set over Kezo town. The girls from Kidima beat Kezo town after consecutively sweeping the first, second and the third sets with 25-18, 25-17 and 25-18 respectively.
Kidima walked away with the tournament’s winning cash prize of INR 20,000, a trophy and an additional cash prize of INR 5,000 presented by Firefighters Viswema.
Kezo town received INR 10,000 along with a trophy as the runner-up while Kigwema and Phesama pocketed INR 5,000 each with citations as the semi-finalists.
Edikunu Rikha of Kidima was adjudged the best spiker while Kezevile Yongo of Kezo town, the best setter. Both players also pocketed INR 3,000 each with citations.
Tepunol Yore, district project officer of Wokha under Land Resources department exhorted the players while handing over prizes to the winners as the closing guest.
Meanwhile, the team lists of both football and volleyball to represent SASA in the forthcoming Angami Sports Association (ASA) meet slotted for next month were also announced during the event.
The two-day SASA sports meet included football for men and volleyball for women. Altogether, 11 villages under Southern Angami jurisdiction competed in football while eight villages took part in the volleyball competition.
Bodevikho Zhale, publicity secretary of SASA informed Eastern Mirror that owing to Covid-19 pandemic, this year, the duration of the tournament was reduced to two-day event where football and volleyball were the only two sporting disciplines as per the directive from ASA.