The much-anticipated football events at the 2nd North East Olympic Games 2022 will begin tomorrow, with the start of the U-21 men’s matches.
Hosts Meghalaya are in Group 2, along with Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Group 1 consists of Manipur, Mizoram and Assam. Tripura, unfortunately, has had to back out of both men’s and women’s football, while Nagaland will only be sending a men’s team.
In the U-17 women’s category, Manipur, Assam and Sikkim make up Group 1 and Mizoram, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh Group 2.
The men’s football teams from other states began arriving at the Inter-State Bus Terminus at Mawiong yesterday morning where they were warmly welcomed by the organising committees before being taken to their accommodations.
All the matches will be played at the MFA Turf at Third Ground, Polo, and spectators are welcome but seating is limited.
The Meghalaya men will be in action tomorrow at 12:30pm against Sikkim, followed by another Group 2 fixture between Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh at 3:30pm. The day will begin, however, with Manipur taking on Assam in Group 1 at 9am.
On November 8, the women’s competitions will begin with Manipur versus Assam in Group 1 at 11am, followed by Mizoram against Meghalaya in Group 2 at 3pm.
A rousing song that will be the official anthem of the 2nd North East Olympic Games 2022, and which is sure to be an ever-present soundtrack and live long in our memories, was released yesterday.
The anthem, “Play”, by folk-fusion band Summersalt and artists from each of the other seven North East states, is a contemporary, upbeat track that is mainly in English but with five to six other languages sampled as well.
The chief guest at the launch function was Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Dr Vijay Kumar D. Also present on the occasion was East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Isawanda Laloo and East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Sylvester Nongtnger.
The beating heart of Shillong, Khyndailad, was chosen as the launch venue and the stirring vocals visibly grabbed the attention of locals and tourists alike.
A motorbike rally featuring some impressive machines also began from Khyndailad to spread the unifying message of the Games, as a celebration of Meghalaya and as a celebration of the North East.
