The Kerala Mizo Association football team before a match against St
Peter’s Kanathura in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday | B P Deepu
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The zest for football has brought Kerala and
Mizoram together this Onam season. The Kerala Mizoram Association (KMA),
which represents 300-strong Mizo population in the state, has fielded a
football team in the Sevens Football Tournament underway at
Shangumugham Ground. The team is just two weeks old but it has been giving local outfits a run for their money.
On Saturday the Mizo team in blue and white thrashed Smart Boys Arts and Sports Club, Kolliyoor with an outstanding score of 8-0. On Sunday evening they struggled a bit on the slushy ground, but still managed to overcome a strong St Peter’s Kanathur team. “Most of the youngsters in our team are students at the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram (CET),” said captain of the team Victor Lalbiakmawia, who is also a football coach with the Southern Air Command that has its headquarters in the city. “Football is very popular in Mizoram. It is the only sport played there,” he said.“We are encouraging young members to take part and try to blend in with the people of Kerala and Onam seems to be the best time,” said KMA president and team manager Wilson Vanramhluna.
“We’ll see how things go, and continue with the team if we can,” he said.
KMA was formed in 2009 and since then has organised regular assemblies for Mizos residing in Kerala. “Most of them are students and there are 11 families. There are also some doctors who are pursuing postgraduation here,” Wilson said.