After witnessing the final of the Dr. T Ao Trophy at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima, have you thought of completing the unfinished State Stadium Dimapur?
Dear Hon’ble Chief Minister,
I write to you as a mere concerned citizen, a football lover, and someone who cares deeply about the future of our Naga youth.
Recently, during the final of the 24th edition of the Dr. T Ao Trophy at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima, over 30,000 passionate fans came to witness the match. The stadium was overflowing with people, there weren’t enough seats for thousands, forcing many to stand shoulder to shoulder in every available space. Still, countless others stood under the open sky, drenched to the skin in the rain, yet no one left, soaking wet, cheering at the top of their lungs, united in their love for football.
As you stood there, gave your promising speech and witnessed this sea of devotion, Hon’ble Sir, did even the slightest thought cross your mind about the unfinished State Stadium Dimapur? Did it pinch your heart to see such passion but no proper infrastructure to match it? Did you not feel the urge to say, “We must complete that stadium now”?
Nagaland has given India one of its greatest football legends, Dr. Talimeren Ao, the first captain of the Indian football team after Independence. From humble beginnings, he rose to lead the nation, proving that greatness can emerge from our hills. Today, our youth still carry that same fire. They train on muddy grounds, play in makeshift tournaments, and dream of bigger stages. But without professional facilities, many of these gifted players become only seasonal footballers. Their dreams fade, not because they lack talent, but because we fail to provide them the platform they deserve.
And here lies the most striking fact: it was you yourself, Hon’ble Chief Minister, who initiated the Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex project in Dimapur back in 2006. You started this project with the urge to uplift the youths of Nagaland. What went wrong? What made you forsake the very youths whose dreams you once vowed to support? Is your passion for the youth long gone? Are the youths now seen as mere vote banks in your eyes, to be courted only during election time and forgotten once the votes are counted? Almost two decades have passed since then, yet the stadium remains incomplete, a silent monument to delay. Since 2006, countless players have come and gone, but the facility they were promised has never been finished.
Dimapur, our state’s largest and most accessible city, is the ideal location for a modern stadium that could host national tournaments like the ISL and I-League. A completed stadium would not only nurture football talent but also create jobs for hundreds of youths, boost local businesses, attract visitors, and put Nagaland firmly on India’s sporting map.
And so, Hon’ble Sir, I ask you directly: as your political career moves toward its later chapters, how would you want to be remembered? As the leader who finally completed the very project you began in 2006, giving the Naga youth the platform they deserved? Or as the leader whose political legacy will carry the heavy footnote that you failed to deliver on a dream you yourself set in motion?
Let the upcoming 25th edition of the Dr. T Ao Trophy be held in a brand-new, fully completed Dimapur stadium. Let that tournament be the moment where passion meets infrastructure, and history is made.
The crowd you saw in Kohima was more than just spectators — it was a statement. A statement that football is in our blood, that our people are ready to support and celebrate the game. All we ask is for our leaders to match this passion with action.
For once, please take into account the overwhelming love of the people for this sport. Let the Dimapur stadium no longer be an unfinished dream. Let us honor Dr. T Ao’s legacy by giving our youth a home ground worthy of their dedication, and our state a stadium that reflects our pride.
The passion is here. The talent is here. All that’s missing is your decision to make it happen.
With respect and hope,
A concerned citizen.