Shillong, Sep 20: Hamletson Dohling, the Meghalaya Football Association President and Vice-President of the North East Football Development Council today thanked the All India Football Federation for agreeing to rename the Junior Girls National Football Championship after the late great Dr Talimeren Ao from the 2025 edition.
The NEFDC had recently requested the AIFF to name one of its national tournaments after Dr T Ao, a Naga who was the first captain of independent India’s football team and also India’s flagbearer at the 1948 Olympic Games in London.
This is the first national recognition for the legendary player by the AIFF, in honour of his achievements and contribution to Indian football.
Dohling thanked the AIFF for the honour that has been bestowed upon the entire North East region through the decision to rename the tournament, which has been largely dominated by a North East state, Manipur, which has won the title 11 times and been runners-up twice.
Henceforth the Junior Girls NFC will be known as Dr Talimeren Ao National Football Championship for Junior Girls. The decision was agreed to unanimously at the AIFF executive committee meeting in Hyderabad on 10th September.
The AIFF’s Senior Women’s NFC has already been named for Rajmata Jijabai and the newly introduced U-20 Men’s NFC for Swami Vivekananda. Older AIFF tournaments, like the Senior Men’s NFC (Santosh Trophy) and Junior Boys NFC (BC Roy Trophy), are already named after people historically important to football.
