Kaba Duikung FC win Lt Col Robert TA Memorial Football Tournament
Source: Chronicle News Service
Senapati, February 22 2022:
33 Assam Rifles, Maram, Senapati district, organised Lt Col Robert TA Memorial Football Tournament Project under AR CAP at the Battalion Headquarters, Maram, from February 17 to 22 .
Altogether, 16 teams participated in the tournament.
The final match was played on Tuesday (February 22, 2022) and was attended by P Chingpai Geneveive, wife of late Lt Col Robert TA, Colonel Arnab Mitra, commandant, Maram Battalion, as guest of honour and chief guest respectively along with a gathering of five hundred including family of late Lt Col Robert TA and ever enthusiastic Maram Nagas.
Lt Col Robert TA, who laid down his life in an avalanche in North Sikkim Sector on May 14, 2020, was the first army officer from Maram Naga community.
He joined the Indian Army in 2004 through Technical Entry Scheme (TES) and passed out from Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
The 38-year-old young officer was an avid sportsman and adventurist.
The Lt Col Robert TA Memorial Football Tournament was organised to promote sports amongst the community with the aim to benefit the people of the community and raise their morale to a great extent.
Moreover, it will also serve the purpose of displaying the humane face of the security forces.
The final match was played between Kaba Duikung FC and Falcons FC wherein Kaba Duikung FC emerged as the winners by a lone goal during the first half of the play.
The winners and runners-up were presented with a trophy, cash prize of Rs 25,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively and the players were also awarded medals with certificates.
The Maram Kavanam Dance troupe presented cultural programme after the first half of the final match.
Ephisan of Kaba Duikung FC and Kabupa of Falcons FC were adjudged best player and best goalkeeper of the tournament.
Addressing media persons, colonel Arnab Mitra, commandant, Maram Battalion, stated that the tournament was conducted in memory of Lt Col Robert TA, who was the first Maram Naga to get commissioned to the Indian Army in 2004.He was commissioned into engineer regiment.
In the year 2020 while on expedition in North Sikkim, Col Robert attained martyrdom.
Being the first Maram Naga army officer, the army officer said that it was pertinent to conduct such an event in remembrance of him.
16 teams from all around the local villages participated at the tournament as they all knew him for being an iconic figure amongst the Maram Naga community.
All the teams were reported to have shown their zeal and fun.
The army officer further mentioned that he is hopeful to conduct such tournament every year in remembrance of the young army officer as the battalion resides there at Maram.