The 1st edition Toshi Wungtung Memorial Football Tournament, which started in the month of October 2025 will witness its finale on January 9 at Shamator District. The semi final was played at Shamator on January 8.
The memorial trophy was initiated by Yimkhiung Akherü Arihako (YAA) marking a significant step towards the promotion of games and sports among the youth of the Yimkhiung community and beyond.
Dokiu Kecham, brother of Late Toshi Wungtung said that the tournament was initiated by the Yimkhiung Akherü Arihako (YAA) with the vision of nurturing young football talents and honoring the lasting legacy of the late leader.
He recalled that YAA had earlier approached the family of Late Toshi Wungtung with the idea of organizing a football tournament to promote sports among the youth. The organization had also asked whether the family would be willing to sponsor the tournament and after due discussion, the family unanimously agreed to support the initiative.
Dokiu Kecham highlighted that Late Toshi Wungtung had contributed immensely to the Yimkhiung tribe and the people of Nagaland. He was a former Member of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) and played an active role in the development of Eastern Nagaland. Widely remembered for his generosity, encouragement of youth, and involvement in social activities, his good deeds continue to live on in the hearts of the people.
“To honor his memory and to ensure that future generations remember his contributions, we decided to organize this memorial football tournament,” he said.
He further stated that through this tournament, YAA aims to uplift and identify young football talents who often do not get opportunities beyond village- and range-level tournaments. Recognizing this limitation, YAA decided to organize a district-level tournament, with this year marking its inaugural edition.
The tournament is being conducted within the Yimkhiung Students’ jurisdiction and in this annual event the tournament is expected to run for several weeks due to the large number of participating teams. The teams have been divided into four clusters. Shamator , Pungro Chessore Zone and Western Yimkhiung. The final match will be played on January 9 At Shamator.
Emphasizing the long-term vision, Dokiu Kecham said the main objective of the tournament is to identify and groom young talents so that players from Shamator and surrounding areas can eventually represent the state and even the nation. He expressed hope that talented and fortunate players would progress to state-level, national-level, and even international platforms.
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Referring to Nagaland’s rich football history, he mentioned the prestigious Dr T Ao Trophy, noting that while Nagaland celebrates the legacy of Dr T Ao, the state has yet to produce a footballer of similar stature. He expressed optimism that initiatives like the Toshi Wungtung Memorial Tournament would help spot and nurture such talents in the future, including from the Yimkhiung community.
He further announced that although this year’s tournament is limited to the Yimkhiung jurisdiction, it is planned to be expanded in the coming years to include teams from all interested districts. The tournament will be held annually, with YAA taking responsibility for initiating and organizing it every year.
The family of Late Toshi Wungtung, he added, will continue to contribute whatever they can towards the success of the tournament. He noted that the enthusiastic participation of teams and the strong turnout of spectators are true measures of the tournament’s success.
Concluding his address, Dokiu Kecham expressed satisfaction with the audience response and overall participation in this first edition, calling it an encouraging beginning for a tournament that aims to leave a lasting impact on sports development in the region.
