By Bhogtoram Mawroh
A few weeks ago, I was invited to be a guest of honour for the 4th Riwar Cup, organized in Tangmang village on 20 December 2025 by Pryshang Da Lade, a socio-economic organization aimed at creating an alternative space for indigenous tribal communities, and the Tangmang Sports Association. To reach the village, I had to cross Pynursla and negotiate the tricky stretches after Laitylyngkot until Lyngkyrdem, which are under construction for the Shillong–Dawki highway. In the last couple of years, the area has become infamous for massive landslides leading to loss of lives. The reason becomes clear as one travels through it.
Loose pebbles are scattered across the road, and piles of sand create a serious risk of skidding. Huge boulders are lying on the side of the newly dug road, with quite a few overhanging on the rock face, looking like they were going to fall on top of passersby at any time. In fact, around Rngain village, we saw a crane crushed under huge piles of boulders, a reminder of the danger that faced every commuter. As someone who doesn’t believe in the existence of an uncaring and jealous supernatural being, I wondered if my safety depended on discovering faith and then renouncing it later when I could get back home safely. But in the end, superstition never saved anyone, and I reached Pynursla safely, still faithless and saved from having to give in to delusion.
To reach Tangmang village, one had to take a detour from the Pynursla junction. Instead of taking the road which leads to Dawki, we took the road on the right to Nongjri, also located along the Indo-Bangladesh border. After travelling a few kilometres on the road, we again took a diversion to the left and continued for around 15 kilometres until we reached the village, passing a waterfall and some breathtaking views along the way. I was in the village more than ten years ago when I came with my team to collect data for a project on medium and small enterprises. We stayed only for a couple of days and slept in a classroom by joining the benches together and covering them with blankets. This time, I had come just for a day. Riwar Cup is a football tournament which brings together War Khasi villages to compete for the trophy. I am not sure, but I don’t think War-Amlarem villages are currently taking part in it. Hopefully, in the future, all War Khasi villages from Khasi Hills to Jaintia Hills can compete in the tournament. Maybe Jirang, which is also a War Khasi village in Ri Bhoi, can someday send a team to compete. In this year’s edition, there were eight teams each for boys and girls. All the players and their coaches stayed in the village during the three days of the competition, with their accommodation arranged in Tangmang Secondary School. During lunch, which was also served at the school, we saw sleeping bags spread on the floor, while a few tents were also put up on the compound. Everyone stayed together in order to foster a sense of unity and camaraderie among the participants.
The matches themselves were quite competitive, and although I could attend only the last day, what I saw really impressed me, especially the finals. Among the boys, it was Nongthymmai and Pynter who had reached the final. In the first half, the teams were quite evenly matched until Nongthymmai eventually scored a goal, after which the floodgates opened, with Pynter conceding a few more goals in the second half. What was really impressive about the performance by players from Nongthymmai was not just the skill they displayed but the organization and tactical awareness with which they played. It was “pass and move” football. An extra player was always available for a pass to relieve the pressure, and the goals were examples of perfect teamwork: overlapping runs, cutting the ball inside, and passing it to a player making a late run into the box to tap the ball into the net—highly simple but very effective. Game management was also quite good, something that was missing from the Meghalaya vs. Sikkim Santosh Trophy match, where Meghalaya allowed Sikkim to come back and win the game. It was quite clear that the players were coached, and they executed their skills perfectly. Pynter gave their best, but in the end, the quality of the opposition was simply too much to handle.
The other final, between the girls, however, was very evenly matched. Nongmadan and Umsyiem fought hard against each other, but neither was able to get past the other’s defence. When a loose ball broke near the box, the goalkeepers from both teams put their bodies on the line to prevent a goal. On one occasion, the young goalkeeper of Nongmadan got a boot to her head as she was lying on the ground grappling to hold on to the ball. There were moments when things got heated and opposing players started quarrelling with each other. It was here that the coaching team of Umsyiem did a commendable job in getting their players to respect the spirit of the game.
It was quite clear that players from Umsyiem had received some coaching. Their jerseys had an attractive dark green patterned design compared to the simple yellow and black striped jerseys of Nongmadan. The players also looked more athletic. The coaching staff was constantly asking the players to get into certain positions and was frequently swapping them to keep everyone fresh. Even before the game, while players from Nongmadan were busy practising their shooting, Umsyiem players huddled around the coach listening to instructions. But on the field, all of this preparation did not matter, and both sets of players were equally matched until the final whistle.
I particularly liked the goalkeeper from Nongmadan—very young and light on her feet, with good ball-handling skills. So, when the game entered the tie-breaker phase, I thought that Nongmadan had a better chance than Umsyiem because of her. In fact, she made a very good save from point-blank range and almost saved the final shot that gave Umsyiem the trophy. Still, I was quite impressed by her reading of the game, quick footwork, and most of all, her bravery in putting her body on the line for the team. Players from Umsyiem, if not already, will and should be looking to play in the SSA women’s league. But I hope players from Nongmadan will also strive to improve themselves and find out how far they can go.
Compared to the men, women players from Meghalaya are making rapid progress at the national level. Garhwal United FC won the Indian Women’s League 2, the second-tier professional women’s football league in the Indian football league system, thereby earning promotion to the first tier next year. They achieved this with seven players from Meghalaya in their squad: Sanfida Nongrum, Fragrancy Riwan, Ribansi Jamu, Bonifilia Shullai, Banrisha Wahlang, Ribahunshisha Kharshiing, and Iaraplang Nongrum. If the team does well next year and the players continue to progress, we could possibly have players from the state being selected for the national team. At the moment, Fragrancy Riwan and Ribansi Jamu have already become part of the national team set-up. Hopefully, more will join them in the future.
What was unique about the trophy ceremony was the fact that the organizers invited elders of the community to present the trophies to the winning teams. This was suggested by Rothell Khongsit, Chairperson of the Meghalaya Rural Tourism Cooperative Federation Ltd, who was the Chief Guest of the occasion. What disappointed me was that the runners-up trophies for both the boys’ and girls’ teams were presented by women, while the winners’ trophies were presented by men. It was initially a mix-up, but then someone shouted that the boys’ trophy was the biggest and therefore should be presented by men. Hopefully, next time we do not encourage such sexist remarks. Despite this isolated incident, the programme went very well and lasted late into the evening, while I returned to Shillong.
Football is the most popular game in the state, but our achievements are nowhere near our enthusiasm for it. We came close to winning the Santosh Trophy a few years ago but have not made it to the final since then, particularly in the men’s category. However, the rise of women’s football gives some hope that this might change. It is tournaments like the Riwar Cup, and many others played throughout the length and breadth of the state, that hold the hope that one day we can be champions.
(The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not reflect in any way his affiliation to any organisation or institution)
