Mizoram is the place where grassroots football started to develop in Bharat
and this Northeastern State has the best pool of players, asserted Mizoram
Football Association or MFA president Tetea Hmar in conversation with WION.
Subsequently, with an aim to tap the skills of youth, Tetea Hmar has laid
the foundation for growing the next pool of big Indian footballers with some
visionary plans and ideas.
“With the talent we have and the Naupang League now an early success, we
want to be the future of Indian football. In years to come I hope we lay down a
marker for the rest of the nation,” said Hmar.
While talking about his dreams he also highlighted the State’s lack of infrastructures
and expressed, “Yes, we lack facilities of the highest qualities but despite
that the Mizoram Football Association has done a great job in tackling the
situation. In the years to come we are hoping to get things sorted out and
provide the best facilities to the kids to make the State proud.”
Aizwal FC, the only Northeast club to have won the top tier league of
Indian football, has been on the dominance in recent times.
With the rise of the Indian Super League (ISL), the famous Northeast club
has lost its touch as they now reside in the second division after the
I-League’s demotion.
Hmar pointed out that there are efforts made to get the club back where
it belongs as they look to get a strong core of the team.
“We have a rich history when became the first team to win the I-League in
2016 but now we face a different challenge. Efforts are made to find a proper
investor so that the club can once again rise from the second division.
Football is not the same now with ISL being the main property as star names
like Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jingham and others no longer play the I-League.
However, I believe we have all the resources to make the giant stride and once
again jump to reach the top flight if can put the missing piece in the puzzle
right,” concluded Hmar.
