SHILLONG:
In a step to expand the grassroots football presence in the state, the Meghalaya Football Association (MFA) launched the first dedicated amateur football league in the city on Friday.
The new football league will feature 20 teams, who will compete over 10 months in a round-robin format. The football league will be opened only to amateurs. The MFA Amateur League is aimed at spreading the game further in the state by fostering community bonding through healthy competition while promoting a fit and active lifestyle.
The inaugural edition of the league shall be conducted in Shillong, with a long-term plan to expand the outreach to other regions of Meghalaya in the coming years. However, Amateur leagues exist in other parts of India and globally. As essential grassroots events, amateur leagues have high participation and the potential for large-scale community impact.
The MFA Amateur League is primed to be a professionally-managed competition of a scale, never before seen in the state. The competition is scheduled for 10 months, engaging each team in more than 35 matches across the season while ensuring professional technical conduct, medical support, and all operational aspects commensurate with other professional competitions across the country.
The league will also focus on a robust long-term legacy by providing the state’s ever-increasing number of referees, physios and coaches opportunities to hone their skills and gain experience.
Earlier, speaking about the Amateur League, President of the Meghalaya Football Association, Larsing Ming Sawyan said, “The MFA Amateur League is another step towards the MFA’S goal to broaden football’s footprint in the state. Amateur leagues are part and parcel of grassroots football activities around the world and give the chance to non-professionals to have fun, stay active, form new friendships, and even reveal a 10-month-long event, a reality. We are proud to launch it in 2022, a milestone year for our state. We are confident that the league will find a welcome place in Meghalaya’s football calendar and I wish all participating teams and players all the very best.”