Mizoram Premier League to kick off on October 24

SILCHAR: The Mizoram Premier League (MPL), which will be conducted by the Mizoram Football Association (MFA), is slated to begin on October 24 this year. The premier league will continue till March 2013.

The MFA has ushered in the new football league by signing a five-year deal worth at least Rs 1.25 crore with ZONET Cable TV Pvt. Ltd. Even though Mizoram has produced many I-League footballers in the last decade, a domestic league in the state has always been a poor show. Officials said the agreement will steer Mizoram football to new heights.

The agreement was signed between MFA president Lal Thanzara and ZONET Cable TV Pvt. Ltd. director RK Lianzuala. The deal grants ZONET Cable TV Pvt. Ltd all commercial rights to the Mizoram Premier League, including sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, merchandising, film, and video and franchising.

For the 2012-13 season, MPL will have eight clubs-Aizawl, Chanmari, Dinthar, FC Kulikawn, Luangmual, Mizoram, Reitlang and RS Annexe. The winner of the league will be awarded Rs 5 lakh. The matches will be held at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium Mualpui and Lammual.

Meanwhile, football teams of Mizoram are gearing up for the occasion. Dinthar FC from Aizawl, the champions of Mizoram Football Association (MFA)'s highest league, have already named their new chief coach and manager for the newly launched MPL 2012-13 season, said H Lal Rammawia, general secretary of Dinthar FC, Mizoram.

He said the club meeting decided to appoint T Vanlalhluna as their new chief coach and Lalnuntluanga as team manager for MPL 2012-13. Vanlalhluna led the state team to win Dr T Ao Memorial Trophy for NE states 2011-12 and the North East Games 2012.
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East Bengal down Churchill to reach Fed Cup final

Lalrindika Ralte struck in the second-half of the extra time to help East Bengal advance into the final of the 34th Federation Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Churchill Brothers at the floodlit Kanchenjunga Stadium here today.

The Mizoram youngster found the match-winner in the 112th minute from a Mehtab Hossain free kick after both teams were locked goalless in the regulation 90 minutes as East Bengal made to their fourth successive, and 16th overall, Federation Cup final.

Hossain brilliantly placed the ball to midfielder Orji Penn who set it up for an unmarked Ralte in the left side of the box.

The East Bengal new recruit rose to the occasion with a spectacular left-footer volley that went past a stretched Churchill Brothers goalkeeper Sandip Nandy to find the back of the net.

Nandy, who had previously saved a brilliant Manandeep Singh header, this time could not do much despite diving to his left as the packed supporters torched flames to celebrate the goal.

Minutes later, Churchill's woes deepened as they were reduced to 10 players after referee Santosh Kumar red-carded Israil Gurung.

Earlier, Churchill Brothers dominated after the start of the match as East Bengal defence looked rusty and were slow to start with.

But as the game wore on the magical moment was missing for a goalless 90 minutes.
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Meghalaya boys in semis

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Goalkeeper Legapo Falm emerged the hero for Meghalaya’s Government Boys High School, helping his team beat Afghanistan in the sudden death in their Under-14 quarter-final of the 53rd Subroto Cup football tournament. Falm saved a spot kick from Mahmood Bator of Afghanistan.
Till then, nothing separated the two teams who were locked 2-2 in regulation time and were going neck-and-neck in the penalty shootout (5-5).
Kostar Lyngdoh then converted the first spot kick in sudden death for the Meghalaya team, while Falm did the needful to set off wild celebrations.
Said Meghalaya captain Wanmi Nomgrum said, “We played against an international team for the first time and it was a great experience.
“It was very important that we hold our nerve and I am happy that we could do that. Both the teams played competitive football and I am happy that we could finish on the winning note.”
Earlier, the two teams displayed an attacking brand of football in regulation time with the Afghanistan team making the first inroad in 11th minute through Mahid.
However, the Meghalaya boys struck back three minutes later with Theibormi Talang finding the net, and then took the lead in the 31st minute through Wung Ngyam.
That second goal only spurred Afghanistan to lift their game and Abdul Nazir took the match into extra time with a 35th-minute strike.
In the under-17 girls event, Government Mizo High School hammered Air Force Bal Bharti School 15-0 to become the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals from Group I.
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Reading FC of UK to Groom Arunachal's Football Players

Reading Football Club (Reading FC) of UK has shown interest to explore football potentials in Arunachal Pradesh after meeting Chief Minister Nabam Tuki.

A four-member delegation from UK met Tuki yesterday at his New Delhi office and had a discussion on development of football in Himalayan state.

"Football is the favourite game in every corner of our state. Talent and passion are immeasurable. We need proper guidance, training and exposure and I can assure you of world class players," Chief Minister, a football player and lover of the game, told the delegation.

The Reading FC members expressed desire to do a talent search in the state and take under their umbrella sub-junior level players.

Selected players would be then groomed at the highest level at Reading FC football academy in the UK, officials said.

According to Reading FC CEO Nogel Howe, the club would send two coaches to Arunachal Pradesh for preliminary assessment immediately.

Howe, while narrating future plans for Arunachal, said if things work out, the club will take on the responsibility of propagating and developing the game by placing its coaches permanently in the state.

Meanwhile, the Reading FC delegation also invited Tuki to watch one of its matches in the ongoing Barclay Premier League.
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FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke In India



FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke (4th L) poses with others members attending the FIFA seminar for Secretary-General and Technical Directors on September 5, 2012 in Delhi, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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Nagaland, Mizoram schools seal semifinal berths in Subroto Cup

NEW DELHI: Greenwood Higher Secondary School, Nagaland and Tumpui Middle School, Mizoram on Saturday booked semifinal berths in the under-14 category of the 53rd Subroto Cup Football tournament.

Group II winners Greenwood needed an extra time strike from Lelen to pip North Eastern School, Manipur in the first quarterfinal while Tumpui got the better of NCC, West Bengal 1-0 in the other last-eight stage match.

The first quarterfinal between the two North East teams was expected to be an exciting affair given the fact that both the teams had scored heavily in the group stages and they did not disappoint. Though goals were difficult to come, there was no lack of effort from either side.

It was Greenwood who stuck first with young Nyithung finding the net in the 18th minute. The goal meant that the Manipur side had to step on the gas and they did just that.

The Manipur side were duly rewarded for their efforts when the referee awarded them a penalty after their striker was obstructed inside the box and Sundaynoon slotted the ball in the net.

It was a battle of attrition from there on and it looked like the match would go into penalties till Lelen sent the team into wild celebration with a clinical finish.

In the second quarterfinal, Tumpui dominated the proceedings throughout the match and a 30th minute strike by Zomuanpuia was enough to take them through to the semifinal.

In Group VI, Afghanistan kept alive their hope of qualifying for the last eight stage with a clinical 4-1 victory over Namchi Sports Hostel, Sikkim.

Mahdi Ahmadi was the star of the Afghanistan side scoring all the four goals. He scored in the seventh, ninth, 22nd and 37th minutes. Pratap Kumar Tamang scored the consolation goal for the Sikkim team in the 33rd minute.

Afghanistan's passage to the quarterfinals would now depend upon the last league encounter between Football Academy School, Orissa and Namchi Sports School. Orissa will have to win the match by a margin of four goals or more to advance to the next stage.
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Manipur boys continue winning run

Subroto Cup group match between North Eastern English School of Manipur and New Delhi’s Air Force Bal Bharti School
Subroto Cup group match between North Eastern English School of Manipur and New Delhi’s Air Force Bal Bharti School
Manipur-based North Eastern English School continued their winning ways, notching up their third win on the trot. On Thursday, the team defeated Air Force Bal Bharti School of New Delhi 4-2 in their Under-14 group encounter of the 53rd Subroto Cup football tournament at the Ambedkar School in the capital.
Earlier, the North Eastern English School, Manipur, had defeated Bhonsala Military School of Maharashtra and Srinagar-based Tyndale Bisco School.
Mohammad Siraj scored in the ninth and 11th minutes while T. James found the net in the 10th minute to help his team take a 3-0 lead even before their opponents had settled.
Air Force School fought back and pulled one back in the 17th minute through Saurabh and kept the pressure on their opponents. However, a 37th-minute strike by Shahruck restored the three goal lead for the North East side.
Aryaman scored a consolation goal for the local team two minutes later but by then, the match was already out of their hands.
In the day’s other matches, New Sunrise Senior Secondary School, Haryana, blanked Tyndale School 3-0, while Tumpui Middle School, Mizoram, thrashed Goa’s Don Bosco High School 4-0.
Deepak sounded the board twice (15th and 45th minutes) for Sunrise School while Abhilash added one in 31st minute.
On Thursday, NCC (WB&S) Bengal had it easy against Coast Guard Public School, Daman & Diu, thrashing them 14-0.
READ MORE - Manipur boys continue winning run