GUWAHATI:Arunachal Pradesh,Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday felicitated members of the girls’ football team that emerged runners up of the Hero Sub-Junior Girls’ National Championship 2019-20, held recently at Cuttack, Odisha and emerged runners-up, bowing out to Jharkhand in the summit clash.
The sub-junior girls, who turned up in their state jersey along with the trophy, were accompanied by their manager, coach, officials of the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association and officers of the Sports and Youth Affairs Department.
The Arunachal team had a splendid run in the tournament,
making history by becoming the first girls’ team from the state to make it to
the final of the championship.
Till the final, the girls had an unbeaten run,
with Tallo Ana scoring 15 goals in five matches. Ana remained the highest
scorer of the tournament.
Congratulating the girls and the officials, Khandu said the entire state was proud of them. He urged them to maintain their ‘passion’ and not to rest upon their laurels.
“Do not stop playing. Keep your passion for the game intact. Hone your skills and aim for the sky. This is just the beginning,” he advised.
Khandu said football is a game of the masses and youths of the state are passionate about it and assured the government’s support for its uplift.
He said in recent years youths of Arunachal Pradesh have shown exemplary skills in various fields of games and sports, which have been proved by scores of medals won by them. Though being a late starter in the arena due to lack of infrastructure and expertise, Arunachal Pradesh, he said has achieved a lot in a short span of time in this sector.
Khandu attributed the recent surge in sporting events and its impact on youths on the Khelo India programme, a brain-child of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He further pointed that with Kiren Rijiju, who hails from the state, as the new Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Arunachal Pradesh can expect a visible facelift in sports infrastructure and sports events in the state.
For the stupendous performance of the motley crew of girls hailing from different districts of the state, the Chief Minister lauded the unstinted support and dedication of the present office bearers of the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association (APFA) headed by its president Kipa Ajay.
While advising the APFA team to continue its good work, he said the government is ready to cooperate and support their endeavours.
