Goodwill football match to promote tourism in state
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 28, 2012: With an aim to promote tourism in the state, the Manipur Tourism Forum (MTF) will be hosting a Goodwill Football Match between Manipur Eleven and FC Kickers, Japan on February 19. Briefing obout the match in a press conference held at the conference hall of Hotel Classic, President of MTF Dr Th Dhabali told reporters that the goodwill football match is being organised with a specific aim to promote tourism in Manipur.

The match will be played on February 19 at 1.30 pm at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium, Imphal.

Manipur being a powerhouse of sports and its ability to attract tourists from all over the world, MTF chose the football match as one of the most appropriate way to attract tourists and promote tourism in the state.

While appealing to sports enthusiasts and tourism lovers of the state to witness the match, Dr Dhabali said that tickets of the match will be sold at Rs 50 per ticket.

Revenues received from the match will be utilised in the development of tourism in the state, he said.

With the prior approval of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the All Manipur Football Association (AMFA), MTF is all set to host the football match and all necessary arrangements for the successful hosting of the match have been executed, he added.

The players of FC Kickers, Japan will reach Imphal on February 18 and will leave for Dubai on February 20. In all 26 Japanese including the FC Kickers team will be coming to Imphal and they will visit major tourist spots of the state during their stay.

Dr Dhabali further said that the MTF will also be organising a Tourists Guide Training Course after the football match as Manipur lacks tourist guides to assist and guide tourists who came to visit Manipur.

Manipur being the India's gate way to South Asian(SA)countries, the MTF whose members comprises of different professional from different walks of life, felt that everyone including the state authority should prepare for the coming years where the tiny state will play a vital role as a transit point for India and South Asian countries.

MTF will also be organising selection trial to form Manipur Eleven team for the said football match very soon, he added.

With the new initiative football loving people of Manipur will have the opportunity to watch a foreign football team playing here after a gap of more than three decades.

Manipur football fans still remembers the then All Manipur Football Association(AMFA)sponsored exhibition match played between a Thailand football team and Manipur XI at the historic Mapal Kangjeibung on September 5 and 6,1979. The inflow of tourists are on the rise in Manipur which today has as many as 14 flights a day ,in the last two years after the relaxation of Protected Area Permit(PAP)for foreigners entering Manipur since January 1,2011. Best medium Entrepreneur Awardee from North East Dr Dhabali's Classic Hotel here even records 1075 foreign tourists in 2010-11 against 595 in 2009-10 -- a sudden rise of tourist inflow, not to speak of 50 other hotels records in Imphal.

Around 36,047 domestic tourists have visited the state last year against previous year's record of 33,457 tourists.

Similarly another 182 foreign tourists also visited Manipur against 140 tourists last year during the same period of time, as per Manipur Tourism department official records.

"Tourists are here not only for just sight seeing, but for other sectors such as cultural tourism, sports tourism and health tourism in particular," feels Santosh Sekhar of the Shija Hospitals and Research Institute which has been giving treatment to patients from neighboring country Myanmar besides NE states.

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