Capt. Kengurüse Memorial trophy from Nov 2

KOHIMA, AUG 31 (NPN): The 10th edition of the Captain Late N. Kengurüse Mahavir Chakra Memorial Football Tournament 2026-27 will be held from November 2 to 10 under the aegis of the Spear Corps, Indian Army and Inspector General Assam Rifles (North), in collaboration with the Nagaland Football Association (NFA).
The tournament will be supported by the Kohima District Football Association and Chümoukedima District Football Association.
Announcing the tournament at a curtain-raiser event, Commandant, 17th Assam Rifles, IGAR (North), Col Tijo Joseph, said the 10th edition would feature 20 teams and be conducted on a knockout basis.
He said the tournament would be held at two venues this year, with a total of 20 matches scheduled. The opening ceremony, 12 pool-stage matches and four quarter-finals would be played at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima, from November 2 to 6.
The two semi-finals, third-place playoff, closing ceremony and final would subsequently be held at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium from November 7 to 10.
Joseph said the 20 participating teams would be divided into four pools of five teams each under the guidance of the NFA. The tournament would generally have one team representing each district, while additional teams would include the 164 Territorial Army Naga unit and Nagaland Police. He added that one additional team could also be selected from the larger districts in coordination with the NFA.
Registration for the tournament will open at 6 a.m. on September 1 and close at 8 p.m. on September 30. The draw of lots and fixtures will be conducted on October 7, while the opening ceremony will be held on November 2 and the closing ceremony on November 10.
Joseph said the total prize pool had been increased to Rs. 8.69 lakh, an increase of Rs. 2.22 lakh from the previous edition.
The champions will receive Rs. 4 lakh, while the runners-up, third-placed and fourth-placed teams will receive Rs. 2 lakh, Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 75,000 respectively.
Individual awards will include the Golden Boot worth Rs. 20,000, Best Goalkeeper Rs. 10,000, Best Midfielder Rs. 10,000 and Best Player of the Tournament (Golden Ball) Rs. 15,000.
The manager, coach and physiotherapist of the winning team will each receive Rs. 8,000, while the manager, coach and physiotherapist of the runners-up team will each receive Rs. 5,000.
Joseph clarified that the awards for manager, coach and physiotherapist would be given to the respective officials of the winning and runners-up teams and would not involve a separate selection for the best coach or best physiotherapist.
Meanwhile, OSD Sports, Department of Youth Resources & Sports and NFA director of coaches and treasurer Roko Angami thanked the Assam Rifles for organising the tournament annually.
Angami said the NFA appreciated the Assam Rifles for continuing to provide a platform for footballers through the tournament. He also acknowledged that the semi-finals and final had been shifted to Chümoukedima this year due to several engagements scheduled at the IG Stadium.
He expressed regret to the people of Kohima for the change in venue for the concluding stages of the tournament.