NSL, a New Dawn
Barak FC won the inaugural Nagaland Super League (NSL) after beating Longterok FC in the thrilling final played at Chumoukedima.
- While Barak FC won the inaugural Nagaland Super League (NSL)
after beating Longterok FC in the thrilling final at the Chumoukedima Football
Stadium on Tuesday, no team lost from an experience standpoint. Sensing the
need for a professional football league in the state to heighten the standard
of football, scout young players, and provide a competitive platform for local
players to hone their talent, the state government announced the NSL on the
lines of the Indian Super League (ISL) with a prize pool of INR one crore. It’s
a big amount for a small and revenue-starved state, but it’s worth it. The
inaugural season was a success on several counts. Footballers from the state,
both emerging and established players, found a reason to pursue the game as a
career. The two-month long football experience might have taught them the
importance of endurance, hard work, consistency, fitness, disciplines,
teamwork, and other virtues that are crucial for excelling in the sport. The
love and passion for the game was also on full display off the fields as
supporters continued to cheer their favourite teams throughout the season
- with
much enthusiasm. Hundreds of fans who had come to witness and support their
teams in the final had to leave the venue disappointed as the tickets were sold
out. More than 50,000 people were glued to the NSL YouTube channel to watch the
match live. This overwhelming response from football lovers could be taken as an
indication of even more exciting football action in the future. The prospect
certainly looks bright.
- However, the success of the Nagaland Super League will
depend on how it is taken forward from here. To develop and take football to
the next level, including creating avenues for state players to progress to the
national and global stages, it is imperative to build on the success of every
season besides learning from the mistakes. The NSL should do to Nagaland
football what the Indian Premier League (IPL) has done to Indian cricket and
sports industry. Unlike in the past, Nagaland has witnessed a significant
change in sports infrastructure, especially football, evident in the growing
number of artificial turf grounds across the state over the last few years.
Players should make good use of the opportunities at their disposal and not
fall victim to complacency. On its part, the government should continue to
invest in sports- make the NSL more competitive by increasing the number of participating clubs and promote women’s football by launching a professional league on the
lines of the Indian Women's League.
