By Monojit Mandal
Inclusive football is the aim and purpose of having a dedicated amateur football league in the state, said Arki Nongrum, Meghalaya Football Association Adviser, talking to The Meghalayan on Wednesday.
“The aim is to allow access to everyone and to allow the supporters of the sport to be a part of building the football eco-system. The end goal is to build and promote the culture.
“This will promote people coming to watch football matches and support local clubs, to be connected to the eco-system, encourage healthy lifestyle which will promote mental and physical well being, contributing to societal development,” said Arki.
On Tuesday, MFA announced the launch of the first dedicated amateur football league in the state, which will kick off in June. The league will feature 20 teams who will compete over 10 months in a round-robin format. It will be open only to amateurs, with the expected kick-off date scheduled for June 11, 2022.
Talking to The Meghalayan, Arki said that, the tournament will be open to non-professional footballers.
“Non Professionals and Non-Elite can participate in this tournament. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) defines grassroots football as Non-elite and Non-Professional. And we want to appreciate the contributions of the grassroots stakeholders who play a vital role in the development of football in the State,” Added Arki
Nongrum also said that this is a pilot project and there will be scope to evolve the tournament in the long run.
“It will be an annual competition. It is a pilot project and will be allowed to evolve with time and experience. There will be shortcomings but just like the Baby League, we are willing to give it a go.”
“This tournament also aims at inculcating a footballing environment which would mainly generate interest among masses to come to the stadium to watch the local leagues & tournaments,” said Wanshan Kharkrang, MFA Treasurer.
“In the long run, we plan to increase the viewership of local leagues & tournaments. It would be an opportunity for young budding referees to be able to gain experience in conducting matches in a less pressured situation and to also be able to sharpen their knowledge and rules of the game,” added Kharkrang.