M Khairuk Jamal Majumdar addressing the gathering at the 5th
Late G Rio Memorial Men’s U-19 Inter-District Tournament at the Nagaland
Cricket Stadium on Monday.
DIMAPUR — Member
of the Apex Council of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), M
Khairuk Jamal Majumdar, said on Monday that in the North East Zone, the
Nagaland Cricket Association is far ahead of the six states.
Speaking as the special guest at the final match of the 5th
Late G Rio Men's U-19 Tournament at the Nagaland Cricket Stadium, in which
Dimapur emerged as the champion, he noted that the reason for this success was
the extensive support received from the Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu
Rio.
He said that, in the past and until now, when they did not
have BCCI support, they had to rely on their own funds, and the support they
received at that time has brought them to this point.
He added that the Chief Minister has supported not only
Nagaland cricket but also North East Zone cricket and expressed that without
Rio's support, cricket would not be where it is in Nagaland.
Furthermore, he said that the BCCI is doing its best to
improve the infrastructure and enhance cricket in the north-east region, with
one example being the indoor cricket facility that will be inaugurated soon.
In addition to this, he added, there will be another new
project for all six north-east states, including Nagaland.
He also congratulated the state on being selected as a venue
for an upcoming BCCI tournament. Starting next season, a BCCI tournament will
be hosted here, which is a significant achievement made possible due to the
quality facilities available.
He informed that, due to a lack of improvement in
performance, it has been decided that, from the next season onwards, only one
team from the Plate Group will be promoted to the Elite Group.
This decision was made because the teams were unable to
perform at the expected level. They now have a period of three years to prove
themselves and earn back the previous system, where two teams were promoted to
the Elite Group.
Additionally, this move should serve as a wake-up call for
senior men's cricket players, urging them not to become complacent with just playing
in the Ranji Trophy but to aspire to compete at the next level, he said.
While speaking on behalf of the family of late G Rio,
Kechangulie Rio, the honourary president of the Nagaland Cricket Association,
expressed that it was an honour to serve as the president of the association
and to do so as the grandson of late G Rio, after whom this championship has
been named.
He mentioned that having his name associated with the future
of cricket in Nagaland through this Under-19 trophy is deeply humbling and a
moment of great pride for them.
He added that it is important for him to share that, while
his grandfather, late G Rio, may have had no direct link to cricket, it was
actually his father, Neiphiu Rio, whom the association initially wished to name
the tournament after. It was through Neiphiu Rio's efforts that the NCA
received the momentum and recognition it truly needed and deserved.
But Neiphiu Rio felt that it would be more meaningful for
the family to honour the name through his grandfather, and so the G Rio
Under-19 Tournament came into being.
Furthermore, this tournament has been a celebration not just
of skill and competition but also of passion, discipline, and the promise of a
bright future for cricket in their state, he said.
