Will giving NorthEast United 20 acres of land for a football academy in New Shillong really benefit Meghalaya’s footballers? Bhogtoram Mawroh weighs in…
A week ago, John Abraham, the actor and owner of NorthEast United FC, a club based in Guwahati, was speaking about how the Meghalaya government has given his club 20 acres of land in Mawkhanu to build its own academy. This will function as a ‘centre of excellence’ and is expected to take shape over the next two years.
John Abraham claims that the academy will be the best in the country and his goal is to produce medal-winning athletes for India at the Olympics. Personally, I am completely against this move. I would like to illustrate why I believe the Meghalaya government’s decision is misguided by examining Shillong Lajong’s situation before its re-entry into the I-League (since rechristened the Indian Football League).
Although I did play a little football during my college days, I wasn’t really much into watching games in the stadium. I do remember, however, seeing hundreds of people sitting on the old wooden stands at the SSA Stadium. When there were important tournaments, such as the Meghalaya Invitation Football Tournament, the noise of the cheering crowds would reach the road outside. It was only during my PhD that I started going to the stadium, especially to watch the Shillong Premier League and I-League matches involving Lajong. I remember one particular game when Lajong was playing against an I-League team and it was raining very heavily. All our seats were soaked, it was really cold and there was water everywhere. But the crowd did not leave the stadium. Later, Son Min-chol, the best foreign player ever to play for Lajong, in my opinion, went around and applauded to show his appreciation for the supporters.
The team was not performing very well and its style of football was very bland. But what annoyed me, and I believe many of the fans as well, was the lack of local players in the team. There might have been a couple, but the first XI was mostly made up of players from outside Meghalaya. The team did try to bring in some big local names, such as Rocus Lamare and Aiborlang Khongjee, but there were not many young players coming through. There were a few players, such as Redeem Tlang, Samuel Shadap and Rupert Nongrum who later got some good playing time. But when they were not playing, there was not much opportunity for others such as Shaiborlang Kharpan and Niawkorlang Kyndiah. Hardy Cliff Nongbri was perhaps the most frustrating case of a local talent not getting the opportunity he deserved.
At the same time, players from other states were being brought into the academy and, through it, given opportunities to progress into the first XI. Some of them did very well and later went on to have good careers. But it did not seem that the management was particularly concerned about the lack of local representation. I attribute this to the fact that Lajong’s marketing strategy of representing the entire North East was too alluring. However, there were some problems with this strategy.
Most of the non-local players who joined Lajong came from Manipur and Mizoram, both of which already had well-established football structures of their own. They were already producing a large number of players who went on to play all over the country. It was only a matter of time before some Meitei or Mizo businessman decided that a local team consisting of local talent could be a viable option. And that is precisely what happened. Since then, Manipur and Mizoram have each had two teams competing in the I-League, with Aizawl FC even winning the title in its second season. Once there were teams from these states, supporters from Manipur and Mizoram who had previously supported Lajong would naturally gravitate towards teams from their own states. NorthEast United FC had also emerged by then and it was playing in the Indian Super League (ISL). This season, Nagaland will also have its own team in the IFL.
At the same time, local supporters had become alienated because they did not see their own players in the team. Slowly, the number of people coming to the stadium dwindled. The uncertainty surrounding football in the country also compelled the Lajong management to let go of its foreign players for the 2018–19 season and field only Indian players, many of whom were from Meghalaya. That season saw the emergence of Phrangki Buam, Kenstar Kharshong, Aiban Dohling, Samuel Lyngdoh Kynshi and Kynsailang Khongsit. Some of these players are still playing for Lajong, while others have moved on to other teams. Finally, the supporters got what they wanted. However, the lack of experience saw the team being relegated at the end of the season. Was it a mistake for the management to give local players an opportunity?
When Aizawl FC won the I-League, they had a good number of Mizo players, but they also had a good mix of Indian players, such as Jayesh Rane and Albino Gomes, as well as foreign players such as Alfred Jaryan from Liberia, who was colossal for them. The 2025–26 IFL season saw Lajong finish second in the table, their best-ever performance. This was built on local talent and a local coach, Birendra Thapa. Once again, it was the uncertainty surrounding the future of football in the country that compelled the management to go without foreign players. But this time, the difference was that the players were already highly experienced. Things have also changed in the academy and you now see a lot of local players coming through. Some are hugely talented and I anticipate big things from them in the future.
I am particularly excited about three players in particular – Riborlang Lyngdoh Lyngkhoi, Rimankhraw Kharumnuid and Badondor Marbaniang – who I hope will go on to play for the senior team and beyond. But if Lajong starts having the delusion again that it needs to represent the entire North East I will stop going to their games. I believe many fans will do the same.
Does this mean that I am against non-local players? Of course not! But I still believe that teams based in Meghalaya should give opportunities to players from Meghalaya and bring in outside talent for positions where they are needed. For example, right now there is a dearth of good No. 9s in the state and a team like Nongkseh has to bring in a striker to improve its chances of playing in the top tier. Langsning already has Syed Ahmed and he is already making a difference. Mawlai also needs a striker and, preferably, some experienced defenders if they are to make another attempt to qualify for the IFL in the future. But the core has to be local players.
This is where I am disappointed with the Meghalaya government’s decision to hand over 20 acres of land to NorthEast United, which appears to be trying to follow the failed Lajong model. The centre of excellence will take young players from all over the region, give them coaching and prepare them for a pathway to play for their senior team in the future. But how many of them will be local players? And how many of them will be guaranteed the opportunity to showcase their talent? Some may argue that local players should have to compete on the same terms as everyone else. I agree. And therefore, I do not want this centre of excellence in Shillong. Let it be in Guwahati. If our young players are good enough, they will get admission to it. If they are not, they will go elsewhere. I don’t want to go through the frustration of pre-2023 Shillong Lajong again.
The Conrad Sangma government has shown that it supports the growth of football in the state. It allocated Rs 1 or 2 crores for the Meghalaya State League and rewarded Lajong with Rs 3 crore for their outstanding performance during the 2025–26 IFL. However, in this case, I feel that the decision to give the land to NEUFC was driven more by political considerations than by purely sporting reasons. I believe Conrad Sangma’s long-term goal is to have a unified voice for the entire North East. I respect that vision. But charity begins at home. In the future, I do want Meghalaya to take a leadership role in articulating the aspirations and concerns of the region. But that can only happen when we first strengthen our own people. The allotment of 20 acres of land to NEUFC is not going to help us achieve that. It will only bring resentment and frustration. I, therefore, hope that the government will rethink its decision.
(File photo)
