Nagaland School of Football Nagaland wins Hornbill Football Tournament title

The School of Football, Nagaland emerged victorious in the Finals of the Hornbill Football Tournament 2025, defeating Whack Club 1-0 in a closely contested match held at Sammogooting Stadium, Chumoukedima on Wednesday. The tournament was organised by 173 Bn CRPF, Dimapur under the aegis of IG Manipur & Nagaland Sector, in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India.
Displaying a disciplined and attacking style of play, the School of Football secured the win through a lone first-half goal scored by Pongwang. The match drew a large crowd of spectators who witnessed an intense display of skill and determination from both teams.
The closing ceremony was graced by DIG (Ops) CRPF Kohima, Sh. Rajesh Kumar, as the chief guest. He commended the players for their performance and sportsmanship, urging them to continue striving for excellence. Medals were presented to all participants, with the champions receiving a trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 15,000, while the runners-up were awarded Rs. 10,000 along with their trophy.
Individual accolades included the Golden Boot awarded to Hangninlo of Whack Club, the Golden Gloves to Horlan of School of Football, and Player of the Match to Pongwang.
The event was also attended by senior officials including Sh. Devnath Somkunwar, Commandant 78 Bn CRPF; Sh. S.K. Vasisth, 2i/c; Sh. Sanjeev Kumar, 2i/c; Sh. Heiyilung Nsarangbe, DC; Sh. Ambar Ghosh, DC; Sh. Tutu Kachari, DC; Dr L Nuh, SMO; and other Unit Officers.
In his closing remarks, Officiating Commandant of 173 Bn CRPF, Sh. Narayan Balai, extended heartfelt gratitude to all guests, players, the District Administration of Chumoukedima, the Sports Authority of India, and the officers and personnel of the battalion for their collective efforts in making the tournament a resounding success.