The Under-13 ASMITA Zonal Football League began in Chümoukedima as Nagaland held Tripura to a draw on opening day.
Share
DIMAPUR — The Under-13 ASMITA Zonal Football League 2025–26 (East Zone) began at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium on Thursday, marking Nagaland’s first participation in the tournament, with the host team playing out a goalless draw against Tripura in the opening match while Assam edged past Mizoram 1–0 in the second game.
Organised under the ASMITA and Khelo India initiatives, the East Zone league will be held from February 5 to the 10th with teams from Sikkim, Assam, Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland competing in a single-leg league format. The top two teams will qualify for the national round. This is the fourth edition of the ASMITA Zonal Football League and the first time Nagaland is taking part.
The league is being hosted by the Nagaland Football Association (NFA).
Addressing the opening ceremony, Abhinav Sharma, Deputy Director, Khelo India Division, Sports Authority of India (SAI), said that ASMITA — Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action — has emerged as a significant women’s sports initiative.
He said that since its launch in 2021, more than 1,250 tournaments across 32 sports disciplines have been conducted in collaboration with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), reaching over 1.5 lakh women athletes.
Also read: PDVFA to participate in 13th NVFA Inter-District Tournament in Niuland district
“This in itself is a big milestone and a big number in terms of where we were when we started in 2021 with the name of Khelo India Women’s League, where we only began with one sport. And year on year, we have been increasing the number of districts and women athletes participating in this grassroots initiative for women,” Sharma said.
He added that the programme had reached around 58,000 participants initially and has now expanded to 1.5 lakh athletes in the current financial year, with plans to scale up further.
Sharma said ASMITA is aimed at identifying talent from the grassroots to the podium level while also instilling confidence and promoting women’s empowerment. He maintained that the initiative encourages girls to step out and participate in sports.
Deputy Commissioner of Chümoukedima, Polan John, who attended the ceremony as the special guest, credited the state government for providing sports infrastructure and prioritising sports development in the district. He also acknowledged the Youth Resources and Sports department and the NFA for organising major events and hosting tournaments in Chümoukedima.
He said ASMITA symbolises the resilience and strength of Indian women athletes and emphasised that access to sports is not merely a privilege but a right for girls.
The DC noted that the league provides young players an opportunity to develop skills and build confidence. He urged parents and the community to encourage girls to take up sports seriously and consider it as a potential career path.
Stating that Nagaland has a strong football culture, John expressed optimism that with structured competitions, better infrastructure and continued support, many young players from the state could go on to represent Nagaland and India in the future.
After the opening match between Nagaland and Tripura, NFA President K Neibou Sekhose told reporters that the association is optimistic about the state’s football future. He said the NFA is aiming to have junior players from Nagaland in national trials by 2028 and senior players in the national team by 2030.
Sekhose observed a change in mindset among parents, noting that more families are now encouraging girls to play football. He described ASMITA as “an added feather for our state”.
NFA senior vice-president Kiyeka S Sumi said that although Nagaland is traditionally a football-loving state, the focus had largely been on senior players, which he said was too late for proper player development.
He added that with ASMITA and the inclusion of football in the programme, young girls are now getting match exposure at the zonal level, learning the technical aspects of the game at an early age, which he believes will benefit football in the state.
FIFA assistant referee Riiolangh Dhar from Meghalaya, who attended the event, shared her journey in football. She said she initially played football but shifted to refereeing in 2009 due to limited opportunities for women players.
She became a national referee in 2017 and a FIFA referee in 2018. Dhar said she has represented India at the Asian Women’s Champions League and was selected for the World Cup in the Dominican Republic in 2024. She added that she is currently preparing for the Asian Cup with the aim of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup.
Dhar credited her family for supporting her career and encouraged more women, especially from rural areas, to take up refereeing and sports. She also appreciated initiatives like ASMITA for promoting young talent.
In the matches played on Thursday, Nagaland and Tripura ended in a 0–0 draw in the first game, while Assam secured a 1–0 victory over Mizoram in the second match.
On Friday, the first match will be played between Assam and Tripura at 2 pm, followed by Mizoram versus Sikkim at 3:30 pm at the same venue.