The first edition of Northeast Women's Football League, will kick start from Thursday at SAI RC Artificial Turf Ground, Takyelpat.
The football event was sponsored by Anantapura Sports Events Pvt. Ltd, Rajasthan and executed by All Manipur Football Association will have teams from the Northeast eight sisters states, including Manipur Sangais, Tripura Pythons, Arunachal Pradesh Tigers, Assam Rhinos, Meghalaya Leopards, Mizoram Black Bears, Nagaland Wild Hogs and Sikkim Pandas.
The meet will be opened by Khetrigao legislator Sheikh Noorul Hassan along with SAI NERC Regional Director, Francis Marwein, MOA Secretary Sunil Elangbam, Padmshree Awardee O Bembem Devi and Amin Pathan, Chairman, Anantapura Sports Events Pvt. Ltd, Rajasthan at 11.30 am.
The inaugural match will have Tripura Pythons taking on Arunachal Pradesh Tigers at 12.30 pm while the second match features Assam Rhinos playing Meghalaya Leopards at 3 pm.
Speaking to reporters at Olympic Bhavan, Khuman Lampak, Amin Pathan, chairman, Anantapura Sports Events Pvt. Ltd said, ‘Our main aim is to develop women professional leagues in the country. We have chosen Manipur to start the venture as the state is a powerhouse of sports and football is one the top discipline in the state'.
He added that there is lots of exposure for the men’s football either ISL/I-League “and we feel that there is a lack of exposure for the women's team and we want to show that talent is there particularly from Manipur and other North Eastern states.”
“We have started our other venture in Cricket and Kabadi in the country and now we want to start football from here. For the next five years, as per contract with AMFA, we have chosen Manipur as the main venue,” he added.
The winning team will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 5 lakhs with trophy while the runners up team will be given Rs 2.5 lakh.
Arjuna Awardee O Bembem Devi while lauding the effort of the Anantapura Sports Events Pvt Ltd said that she feels very excited about the endeavour and the platform that will be created for the women players of the region. “Exposure is what we need at this hour, the matches that will be played can contribute wholly to the development of women players,” he added.
