Kohima: Top two teams out of 18, Barak FC and Lengreng FC, both from Peren district, are set to vie for the championship trophy of the 6th Captain Kengurüse Football Tournament 2022 to be held at Indira Gandhi (IG) stadium in Kohima on Wednesday.
The nine-day long tournament began on November 15, is an annual football event organised annually by the Assam Rifles on behalf of Spear Corps, in memory of the Kargil Martyr and to celebrate the sportsman spirit of Nagas, the Defence PRO Kohima informed.
During the tournament, Barak has so far scored 24 goals from three matches till the semi-finals while Lengreng scored 9 from its three matches. Athanah Newmai from Barak FC is so far the top contender for the golden boots with six goals to his credit.
In their journey to the final, Barak FC defeated Phiro FC in the first match 7-1. This was followed by a massive 12-0 in their match against Pro Aim Sports Club from Dimapur in the quarter-finals.
Barak defeated the defending champion Tehok FC 5-4 in the semi-finals. On the other hand, Lengreng FC defeated Naga United FC, 3-0 in their first match. In their quarter-final match against Longpa Lomuden FC from Mokokchung, the team raked up 3-1.
As for Lengreng, the team defeated Head Hunters (164 TA) 3-2 to enter the final. During the third-place match that was played on Tuesday, HeadHunters (164 TA) emerged victorious by defeating the defending champion Tehok FC 2-1.
Earlier, during the inaugural ceremony, the chief guest of the event, Major General Vikas Lakhera, SM, IG AR (N) recalled the heroic act of Capt (Late) N Kenguruse, MVC (P) who made the supreme sacrifice during Operation Vijay in 1999.
The officer also acknowledged Subedar (Honorary Captain) Imli Akum Ao who was awarded MVC for his exceptional gallantry and courage in the Kargil war. He asserted that during a short span of eight years, the tournament has become a popular sporting event in the state.
The tournament is conducted in collaboration with the Nagaland Football Association (NFA). The winner of this edition will walk away with a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, along with the running trophy.
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