In recognition for her achievements on the sidelines of football pitches around the world, Riiohlang Dhar has been named as the recipient of this year’s U Kiang Nangbah Award for Sports 2026, it was announced today.
The award will be presented to Meghalaya’s only FIFA-qualified assistant referee on Republic Day.
The U Kiang Nangbah Award is presented by the state government annually. Recipients get a citation and Rs 2 lakh.
Dhar has officiated at numerous international events over the years. She became only the second Indian match official at a World Cup at 2024’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic. That year also saw Dhar, a serving policewoman in the Meghalaya Police, appointed as an official at the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup in Indonesia.
In May 2025 she was named Female Assistant Referee of the Year by the AIFF for 2024-25. Then, in December, she was one of the 40-odd individuals honoured for their contribution to Meghalaya football at an MFA awards function to kick-off the association’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
At the end of December she was confirmed on the FIFA Refereeing International list for the year 2026.
