U-23 football tournament kicks off in Zunheboto

The 1st Intra-District U-23 Football Tournament commenced on March 10, 2026, at the District Sports Council Ground, Zunheboto. The tournament is organized by the District Planning & Development Board (DPDB) in collaboration with the Zunheboto District Football Association (ZDFA).
According to DIPR report, Deputy Commissioner of Zunheboto, Dharam Raj attended the inaugural programme as the special guest. Congratulating the organizers, he expressed hope that more teams would participate in the coming years. Acknowledging that the first edition may have some shortcomings, he voiced confidence that the tournament would grow stronger in the future.
He credited the initiative to deputy speaker and DPDB chairman, S. Toiho Yeptho, for promoting development through sports in the district. He further emphasized that the DPDB aims to focus on human resource development through sports and other activities.
Highlighting the importance of sports in both physical and mental development, Dharam Raj said tournaments like this would help young players hone their skills and improve the district’s performance at state-level competitions. Encouraging the players, he urged them to play with companionship, compassion, and a high spirit of sportsmanship.
In the inaugural match, Pughoboto thrashed Aghunato 7–0, with Toka of Pughoboto scoring a hat-trick to lead his team to a dominant victory.
The programme was chaired by District Sports Officer, Anguvito Sumi, with invocation prayer led by Nupato Zhimo, Assistant Youth Leader of ZTSBC. A special presentation was given by Tokali Tovi Yeptho, while the oath-taking was administered by Akaho Zhimomi, vice president of ZDFA.
Altogether, six teams from Zunheboto district are participating in the five-day tournament, which will run from March 10 to 14, 2026.