State-level Pre-Subroto Tournament for Under-17 boys and girls begins in Kohima on Tuesday.
KOHIMA — The State-level Pre-Subroto Tournament for Under-17 boys and girls commenced at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima, on Tuesday, with Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Youth Resources and Sports department, Anthony Ngullie, attending the opening ceremony as special guest.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Ngullie said the Subroto Cup, conceived in 1958 by India's first Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, remains one of the country's most prestigious inter-school football tournaments.
He said the tournament begins with qualifying competitions at the subdivision, district and state levels before teams advance to the national finals.
Expressing satisfaction over the participation in this year's tournament, particularly in the girls' category, he said it was encouraging to see teams travelling from different districts to compete at the state level.
Ngullie also highlighted the department's continued efforts to organise sporting events across the state to identify and nurture talented athletes. He said the department's grassroots initiatives have received national recognition, with the prime minister recently acknowledging one of Nagaland's unique sports development programmes during the last episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
He acknowledged the Nagaland Football Association for its continued partnership with the department in promoting football in the state and wished all participating teams success.
Earlier, Additional Director of the Department of Youth Resources and Sports, Jakedovo Chase, said the Subroto Cup is one of Asia's oldest inter-school football tournaments. Instituted in 1960 under the aegis of the Indian Air Force, the tournament was conceptualised in 1958 by Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, a football enthusiast and India's first Chief of Air Staff. Following his demise in 1960, the tournament was launched in his honour with the support of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
He said the tournament was renamed the Subroto International Football Tournament in 2001 and has since attracted participation from schools in several foreign countries.
Chase said Nagaland has enjoyed notable success in the tournament over the years. This year, the state is participating in the Under-17 boys' and girls' categories.
For the qualifying rounds, the state's 17 districts were divided into four zones, with the top two teams from each zone in both categories advancing to the state-level tournament. The zonal rounds witnessed participation from 32 boys' teams and 10 girls' teams.
He informed that the winners of both categories will represent Nagaland at the 65th Subroto Mukherjee International Football Tournament, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from August 18 to September 25.
Participating teams in the girls' category are Livingstone Higher Secondary School, Dimapur; Government Higher Secondary School, Hakushang, Tuensang; PM SHRI Government High School, Meriema, Kohima; Cornerstone Higher Secondary School, Zunheboto; Government High School, Molvom, Chümoukedima; Government High School, Noklak; and Government Middle School Imrong, Mokokchung.
The boys' category is scheduled for next week.
The opening match was played between Livingstone Higher Secondary School, Dimapur, and Government Higher Secondary School, Hakushang, Tuensang.