Manipur to sign MoU with AIFF to set up football academy

Manipur, known as the football factory of India, is set to take its love for the sport to new heights. In a bid to promote football further in the state, Manipur will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) for logistics and other support to set up a football academy.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister N Biren Singh during the inauguration ceremony of the historic Hero Tri-Nation International Football Tournament at the Khuman Lampak stadium on March 22. Singh expressed his pride in the fact that the national team consisted of five to six players from the state, and thanked the AIFF for acknowledging the potential of Manipuri players.

“We’ll be signing the MoU during AIFF chief Kaylan Chaubey’s visit on the closing match of the tournament on February 28,” the chief minister said.

This is the first time the football-crazy state has hosted an international tournament, and Singh appealed to the people to attend the matches and show discipline and decency during the tournament.

With 43 players from Manipur contributing to the Indian Super League, the state has emerged as a dominant force in the discipline of football. The signing of the MoU with the AIFF is expected to further strengthen the state's position in the sport.

The Main Stadium of the sports complex looked full with official attendance recorded to be 29,341 at the opening function followed by a match won by India by 1-0 goal against Myanmar.

This move is expected to bring about a new wave of enthusiasm for the sport in Manipur and will provide the youth with an opportunity to hone their skills under the guidance of experts. The signing of the MoU is a significant step towards realizing the state's dream of becoming a major player in the world of football.