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Nagaland U-15 girls’ football team along with Zale Neikha and team officials before leaving Kohima for Sweden at the IG Stadium on Tuesday, July 9.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 9 (EMN): A 22-member squad comprising of 14 U-15 girls’ team and eight officials including Advisor for Youth Resources and Sports (YRS), Zale Neikha, left Kohima for Sweden to participate in the forthcoming Gothia Cup 2019, an international football cup at Gottenburg.
The Sports Club Nagaland is led by team captain Imli Merenla Jamir and Coach Sebastian Rasmussen, who is a FIFA Grade-A coach and Ruopfuo Meyase as Assistant coach. The team will represent India in the Gothia Cup
Besides Zale Neikha, the team also includes Director YRS Akumla Chuba, PS to Advisor Notsol Neikha and official from CMO Neibalie.
Interacting with media persons at a send-off programme, Neikha remarked: “this feat to represent India in one set is no less an achievement.” He added, ‘it is once in a lifetime opportunity.’
The team has been professionally trained for the last few months under Rasmussen, Neikha said. He is hopeful that Nagaland team will be able to compete professionally at the highest level with other teams and come out winners at the tournament. He is optimistic that the girls will showcase their “talent as a sportsperson and also the uniqueness of the Naga identity and culture” during the opening ceremony of the tournament.
“Tournament will be a great experience and morale booster for the players to become professionals in the near future,” he said. Participation at the Gothia Cup will motivate and inspire other budding sportspersons to excel and become professionals at the national and international level, he added.
The advisor appealed the Naga community to wish them well and pray for the safety of the whole team.
The team, he said would be wearing traditional attire during the inaugural function of the tournament on July 15.
For the first time, the department is making such initiative to take the local talents for exposure beyond the country in commemoration of the 100th year birth anniversary of legendary Naga footballer Dr T Ao.