Nagaland produced India's first Olympic football captain Dr. T. Ao in 1948 for the London Olympics yet its football infrastructure is one of the weakest in the country.
Share
Nagaland is a land blessed with extraordinary football passion. Across its towns, villages, and hilltops, football is more than a sport; it is a way of life. From dusty playgrounds and school fields to community tournaments and World Cup screenings, the love for football runs deep in the hearts of the Naga people. Yet, despite this immense passion and natural talent, Nagaland has failed to emerge as a football powerhouse in India. The question that demands an honest answer is: What happened to the football giant that Nagaland was destined to become?
The history of football in Nagaland provides a glimpse of what could have been. The state produced India's first Olympic football captain Dr. T. Ao in 1948 for the London Olympics, a remarkable achievement that speaks volumes about the footballing culture and potential of the Naga people. Even long before modern football pitches, Nagaland’s love for football was already legendary. In 1937, the Naga Hills team, a group of school students made history by defeating districts like Guwahati and Jorhat to win the ‘All Assam Inter School Football Championship’ under the captainship of Dr. T. Ao (2023, YourStory.com). However, until the 1970s, actual footballs were incredibly scarce in rural areas. Resourceful locals would soften pomelo fruits to use as balls, a testament to a passion so great that playing with a piece of fruit brought absolute joy. Given such a rich footballing heritage, one would naturally expect Nagaland to be producing national-level footballers regularly. One would expect the state to have world-class infrastructure, professional academies, and a clear pathway for young talents to rise to the highest level. Unfortunately, the reality is starkly different.
Nagaland remains one of the most football-loving states in India, yet it possesses some of the weakest football infrastructure in the country. Despite decades of evident public enthusiasm, the state has failed to capitalise on its greatest sporting asset- its people. The problem has never been the lack of talent. The problem has been the inability to recognise, nurture, invest and capitalise in that talent. A shining example of Nagaland's hidden football potential can be seen in the achievements of its school football teams. Despite limited facilities and inadequate infrastructure, Nagaland's young footballers have consistently performed admirably at the prestigious Subroto Cup International Football Tournament held annually in New Delhi. In 2022, Pilgrim Higher Secondary School, representing Nagaland, emerged as the overall champion of the 61st Subroto Cup International Football tournament under 17. Such an achievement cannot be dismissed as a stroke of luck. Winning an international-level school football tournament requires dedication, discipline, teamwork, technical skills, quality coaching, and strong mentorship. It is the result of years of hard work and commitment. More importantly, it serves as undeniable evidence that football talent exists in abundance in Nagaland. However, one cannot help but wonder what became of those young champions after their historic victory. Were they provided with professional training opportunities? Were they integrated into a long-term player development programme? Were they given scholarships, employment opportunities or pathways toward professional football careers? If not, then another golden opportunity may have been lost. The success of these young players should have triggered a comprehensive football development strategy across the state. Instead, it appears to have been celebrated briefly before fading into memory.
This raises an uncomfortable but necessary question: What truly ails football development in Nagaland? A critical examination reveals that the problem lies not with the players or the people, but with leadership, vision, and policy. For decades, sports development has not been treated as a strategic priority. Policymakers have largely failed to perceive the immense potential hidden among the youth of Nagaland. The issue is not merely the absence of infrastructure; it is the absence of long-term thinking. Visionary leadership requires the ability to see possibilities before they become realities. It requires recognizing potential long before results appear. It demands investment today for rewards that may only become visible a decade later. Unfortunately, football development in Nagaland has rarely been approached with such foresight.
Football, unlike some activities, does not produce instant results. It is a long-term investment. One cannot expect to produce elite footballers overnight. Just as a farmer cannot harvest crops without first sowing seeds, nurturing them, and waiting patiently for them to mature, a state cannot produce football stars without investing in youth development for many years. Some crops may take only a few months to harvest, while others require years of care and cultivation. Football belongs to the latter category. The world's greatest footballers began their journeys at very young ages, often between five and seven years old. They underwent rigorous training, structured coaching, and continuous competition for ten to fifteen years before reaching the highest levels of the game. The same principle applies to Nagaland. If the state is not producing national-level football stars today, it is because the necessary investments were not made ten or fifteen years ago. The seeds were simply not sown. And where seeds are not planted, harvests cannot be expected.
The consequences of this neglect are visible. Despite generations of football-loving youth, Nagaland has rarely seen its players feature prominently in India's national football teams. This is not because Naga players lack talent or determination. Rather, it reflects the absence of a structured system capable of identifying, nurturing, and advancing promising athletes. Infrastructure remains another glaring concern. Astonishingly, a state known for its football obsession still lacks a truly world-class football stadium. Across the state, many football grounds remain underdeveloped and poorly maintained. Young players often train in facilities that fall far below national standards.
The prolonged delay in completing major sports infrastructure projects, particularly the Dimapur football stadium, stands as a powerful symbol of missed opportunities. Such delays are not merely construction issues, they represent years of lost dreams, lost opportunities, and unrealised potential for thousands of young footballers. Yet, despite these challenges, the love for football in Nagaland remains unshaken. The FIFA World Cup arrives every four years, and with it comes a wave of excitement across the globe. But Nagaland does not need the World Cup to prove its love for football. The evidence is visible every day, in village tournaments, school competitions, roadside discussions, and the unwavering enthusiasm of fans who passionately support multiple European football clubs and from around the world. Indeed, Nagaland may arguably be the most football-loving state in India. What makes this remarkable is that such passion exists despite the absence of any standard infrastructure, professional clubs, and nationally or internationally recognized football stars from the state.
Why do Nagas love football so deeply? The answer lies in understanding the nature of passion itself. Passion is not an innate gift that suddenly appears. It is cultivated over time through repeated engagement, curiosity, participation, and mastery. What begins as a simple interest gradually evolves into a deeply embedded identity. People become passionate about activities in which they invest their time, emotions, and energy. The Naga passion for football did not emerge overnight. It has been built over generations through community participation, local tournaments, family traditions, and shared experiences. Football has become part of the social and cultural fabric of Naga society. It unites communities, inspires youth, and provides a sense of belonging. The tragedy, therefore, is not the absence of passion. The tragedy is the failure to transform that passion into a sustainable football ecosystem.
This brings us back to the central question: Who killed the football giant potential in Nagaland? The answer may be uncomfortable, but it is difficult to avoid. The responsibility rests largely with successive governments and policymakers who failed to recognise the enormous sporting capital available within the state. Through years of neglect, inadequate planning, weak infrastructure development, and the absence of long-term sports policies, they have allowed countless football dreams to fade away before they could flourish. However, assigning blame alone is not enough. What matters now is the future. The good news is that it is not too late. If Nagaland wishes to produce football giants over the next 10 to 15 years, the seeds must be planted today. The state government must commit itself to a comprehensive football development mission. This should include building quality football grounds across districts, completing pending infrastructure projects, recruiting qualified coaches, establishing football academies, organising regular competitions, and creating robust talent identification programmes. Young talents must be discovered early, trained professionally, and provided with clear pathways to state, national, and international opportunities. Schools, communities, sports associations, and government agencies must work together to create an environment where talent can thrive.
Most importantly, the government must accept responsibility, not merely for past failures but for future success. It must acknowledge its inability to fully tap the immense football potential of the state, its shortcomings in infrastructure development, and its failure to provide many young people with opportunities they deserved.
Nagaland's football story is not one of failure; it is a story of unrealised potential. The giant is not dead. It has merely been asleep. The passion still exists. The talent still exists. The dream still exists. What Nagaland needs now is vision, commitment, and action. If the seeds are sown today, the coming decade may finally witness the rise of football giants from the hills of Nagaland who were never absent, only waiting to be discovered.
Prof. Zuchamo Yanthan,
Professor in School of Social Sciences,
IGNOU, New Delhi.