Saikul AC MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing kicked off the 4th FutGal at Saikul hill town on Friday.
The FutGal is a girls football tournament organised annually under the theme, "Empowering Girls Through Football" by InSIDE North East, a well-acclaimed non-profit NGO actively engaged in various social services.
The 4th FutGal was organised by InSIDE-North East in collaboration with Saikul Hill Town under the aegis of All Saikul Football Association (ASFA) supported by KFB-Austrain Catholic Women's Movement and National Foundation for India (NFI).
The inaugural ceremony was graced by the local MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing, as chief guest while SDO Saikul Block, M Bhungba and ASFA president Mangcha Haokip attended as guest of honour and functional president respectively.
Speaking at the occasion, Kimneo Haokip Hangshing said that sky is the only limit as success is for those who dare and believe in themselves and she exhorted all the girls participating in the tournament to take up football as a career not only as a hobby.
The SDO Saikul M Bhungba, while appreciating the organising team, encouraged the girls to come up and face the challenges squarely while adding that the world is fair for people who are strong not for the weak.
Hejang Misao, director of InSIDE-North East said that as a result of FutGal, 15 girls have now taken up football as a career, playing in various clubs of Manipur.
He continued that there cannot be true development if the girls are not empowered, and that the main reason behind organising this tournament is to empower girls – play for freedom and for development.
The FutGal tournament is the one and only existing girl’s football tournament held every year in Saikul, Kangpokpi district.
Altogether, 16 clubs across the district will compete for the champion Trophy.
The tournament has three core values namely- Care, Respect and Kindness.
