U-15 Nagaland girls in Sweden soccer event
Correspondent
KOHIMA, July 17, 2019: The Gothia Cup is the world’s largest international youth football tournament. Each year, around 1700 teams from 80 nations take part and they play 4500 games on 110 fields. This year around 75 countries participated wherein the Nagaland U-15 girls’ team were selected to represent India in the parade of nations. The team opened the parade by marching in as the first country displaying our unique culture and tradition in our colorful attire.
Earlier, the first match was played on July 15 against Västerås BK30, a division I Swedish team. Our team posed as a tough team with an impenetrable defense but the opponent team managed to score 3 goals to nil with SC Nagaland failing to convert their shots into goals. The second match will be played on the 16th of July 2019 at 15:30 hrs (Swedish time). Further matches will be updated.
The 14 member team from Indira Gandhi Stadium Academy (under the department of Youth Resources & Sports Nagaland), with Imlimerenla as the captain consists of Diethosieu Zhale; Chimmushe; Hupolu Hesus; Mhaselu Swuro; Medokhono Nakhro; Nirmala; Abeno Humtsoe; Dziesekonuo; Ahenu Kikhi; Keni Kent and Neke Konyak.
The team is being led by Advisor Youth Resources & Sports, Zale Neikha along with Director YRS, Akumla Chuba, Ropfu Meyase- Head Coach (Football), Sebastian Rasmussen (Uefa grade A coach) and Mike Mirucki CEO Soccer Competition through which collaboration with the Swedish clubs and officials were initiated.
Football in Nagaland has always had tremendous potential and now we have the opportunity to widen the platform for excellence.
Not only do we want to put our athletes in the national field but we now have the opportunity to put a foothold in the international arena.
Gothia Cup takes pride in claiming itself as the world’s largest youth tournament for football and it is rightly so because the tournament has seen many professional footballers who were scouted and identified during the tournament. Players like Zlatan, Alan Shearer, Pirlo, to name a few, were all football legends that played in the Gothia Cup in their youth. Winning the Gothia Cup was and remains one of the finest things you can wish for as a young footballer.