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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 2 (EMN): A five-day football referee clinic, organised by the Kohima Town Club (KTC), concluded on Saturday following a short formal ceremony at the Indira Gandhi stadium in Kohima.
A total of 28 participants, including four girls, from the districts of Kohima, Dimapur, Phek, and Kiphire, were trained by All India Football Federation (AIFF) referee instructor Joy Chandra Singh and national referee Priyobarta from Manipur.
President of KTC Dr. Viketoulie Pienyü, said that the football referee clinic should not be the end for the participants if they wish to pursue it professionally. "This is just the beginning. If you work very hard, you can make a living,” he said.
He informed that after the first football referee clinic conducted by the club in 2018, three referees who underwent the training, had received the Referee Identification Number (RIN). “Practice whatever you have learned through the clinic and conduct local matches,” he encouraged the participants.
Pienyü expressed that the club, comprising football enthusiasts, desired to witness men and women referees from the state conduct national and international matches in 5-10 years time.
While the club intends to promote and develop sport in the state, it felt the need to also train, mentor and encourage referees, for which the referee clinic was introduced.
Instructor Singh challenged the participants to maintain fitness and keep in mind the laws of football—the basic foundation to excel as a professional football referee.
Singh, who has been associated with referees from Nagaland since 2009, said that there is a need to increase the standard of referees in the state.
He informed that suggestions were made to the Nagaland Football Association to conduct RIN for upcoming referees from the state. Further, Singh urged the trainees, who will be match officials someday to be honest while on the field.
The five-day training began on Tuesday with a short formal ceremony graced by Z Kire, Rtd DGP Nagaland and advisor of the club as the special guest.