SPANDAN Football tournament begins in Ukhrul

Mungchan Zimik
Ukhrul, Oct 13 : Deputy Commissioner (DC) Uppuluri Chaitanya today officially inaugurated the 1st SPANDAN Under-17 Football Tournament for Boys and Girls at the Bakshi Ground in Ukhrul. The tournament is being organised by the Ukhrul District Youth Affairs and Sports Office (DYASO).
The inaugural ceremony commenced with the lighting of the traditional lamp by the DC, in the presence of DYASO P Swamenta Singh.
In his address, Chaitanya highlighted the central government’s vision behind the SPANDAN (Sports for Peace and Development Across the Nation) initiative, which aims to promote football across India.
He urged the District Sports Office to organise more sporting events across various age categories to nurture local talent and help youth excel in life. Encouraging the young athletes, the DC called upon them to compete with true sportsmanship and create lasting memories before declaring the tournament open.
 In the one-sided opening match, Haokok FC secured a resounding 7-0 victory over UPS.
A total of six boys' teams and four girls' teams are competing in the tournament.
 DYASO P Swamenta Singh announced that the champions in both the boys' and girls' categories will receive a trophy alongside a cash prize of Rs 20,000, while the runners-up will be awarded a trophy and Rs 15,000. He further shared that the Ukhrul DYASO office is providing free jerseys to all participating players.