‘Nagas need to focus on competitiveness, professionalism in football’

Dimapur, May 7 (EMN): Khriehu Liezietsu, MLA on Saturday said that ‘Nagas need to focus on competitiveness and professionalism in football as we are finding it a little difficult to cope with it’ but expressed optimism that youngsters are already catching up.

He went on to add that players and sports administrators are very serious in their approach towards the game, with every activity being performance and success-oriented. Liezietsu was speaking during the launch of the Khelo India Centre (KIC) Football (Boys) at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima on Saturday.

Exhorting the gathering, Khriehu expressed that it was an honour to be involved in the Khelo India programme and added that, ‘Football is a game every Naga loves, and Nagaland has produced some very good players in the past with the state doing reasonably well even in the recent past’, a DIPR report informed.

Department of Youth Resources and Sports as a whole is “alive and growing”, despite many challenges and hardships, the department continues to give its best for the upliftment of sports and the youth of our state, he stated.

Khriehu mentioned that it was encouraging to see lots of developments in sports infrastructure and expressed happiness that the state government was putting in a lot of effort in this field led by the youth-friendly chief minister and hoped that the youths and sportspersons will be able to shine and bring glory.