Ex- SAI-RC players play friendly football match with Referees-XI
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 13 2019:
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is keen to keep everyone in the Nation fit and healthy and to bolster the cause, the Ministry has launched "Fit India Movement" recently.
This was stated by Francis Marwein, newly appointed director of Sports Authority of India NERC, Imphal during a friendly football match played between former players of SAI-RC and Football Referees XI Manipur, as chief guest at SAI Turf Ground, Takyel.
Football coach, Th Ibotombi Singh also graced the football friendly as functional president in the presence of guests of honour, Konthoujam Kosana Singh (athletic coach and ex In-Charge of Sports Science and Fitness Centre) and G Chandrajit Sharma (cycling coach and ex In-Charge of STC).
Speaking on the occasion, the Director of SAI NERC maintained that fitness and games and sports have intimate relationship and organising such friendly football match will surely contribute in fitness movement.
Such an event also will help recreate the good old past and renew the spirit of friendship among the former SAI-RC inmates, he added.
Football coach, Th Ibotombi also shared memories with former dedicated SAIRC players and the efforts that he had made to keep the football field of SAI neat and clean during the occasion.
Former athletic coach, Konthoujam Kosana and former cycling coach, G Chandrajit Sharma expressed their happiness and lauded the initiative of the former players of SAI STC, which was set up in 1997.While maintaining that SAI STC and SAI Centre of Excellence will be merged together, the coaches also recalled the good relations and experiences they had with the players during the training sessions.
While narrating the difficulties to group themselves up for the programme, the former players who had joined different fields with due course of time, also expressed their willingness to mark a particular day where former players could meet their teachers and coaches and seek their blessings.
Friendly matches in other disciplines were also held where former male and females athletes participated and enjoyed together.