Is Mokokchung racing against time to host 25th Dr T Ao Trophy?

Morung Express News
Ungma | September 19

Mokokchung is racing against time to make the Rempo Lu Sports Complex in Ungma ready for the 25th Dr T Ao Inter-District Football Tournament, with less than three weeks remaining before the competition begins.

The Nagaland Football Association (NFA) led by its president K Neibou Sekhose, and Director of Youth Resources and Sports Kethosituo Sekhose inspected the venue and held a review meeting on Saturday in the presence of the Mokokchung deputy commissioner, senior superintendent of police, Mokokchung District Football Association (MDFA) and members of the organising committee.

The tournament is scheduled to be held from October 13 to 31, 2026. However, the original completion target for the sports complex is 2027, creating pressure on the authorities and contractors to finish the essential works ahead of schedule.

The turf has been completed and the floodlights have been installed. The prefabricated multipurpose hall is also nearly ready, with some bathroom works remaining.

The major pending works include the galleries, pavilion, players’ restrooms, match officials’ rooms and other spectator amenities. 

Interacting with the media, DYRS Director Kethosituo Sekhose said contractors had been asked to complete the essential facilities within the next two weeks so that the venue could be made usable for the tournament.

“We have just about 20-odd days left. In a fortnight, we expect that this will be usable,” he said.

Around 60 workers, including supervisors and civil-work personnel, are currently engaged at the site. Sekhose said the work was being carried out on a fast-track basis, with several activities being taken up simultaneously.

He acknowledged that some works may not be completed before the tournament and could be taken up after the event. The gallery on the western side, for instance, will not be constructed in full before the tournament. Instead, the MDFA and the organising committee are expected to make alternative arrangements for spectators.

Despite the tight schedule, Sekhose expressed confidence that the venue would at least be ready to host matches. He cited the successful completion of facilities for the Dr T Ao Junior Girls National Tournament within a much shorter period.

Safety has also emerged as a key concern amid the accelerated construction. Sekhose said the prefabricated structures were being supported by foundations that had been given sufficient curing time. He added that third-party quality-management teams were inspecting the project regularly.

The floodlights have been tested and calibrated, and officials said they would allow night matches. Sekhose also said the lighting system had been certified under FIFA Class 3 standards.

Parking is another challenge facing the organisers. Only around 100 vehicles are expected to be accommodated inside the venue, while additional parking may have to be arranged outside the highway in coordination with the police and traffic authorities. This could require spectators to walk some distance to reach the stadium.

The NFA Vice-President, Meyisanger Lemtur said the MDFA had successfully hosted an earlier edition of the tournament and that the district now had better facilities. He expressed confidence that Mokokchung would be able to deliver a successful event, even if some works remained incomplete.

The tournament is expected to bring around 450 players and officials from across Nagaland. The NFA is also planning to invite former Indian football captains and representatives of national and regional football bodies to mark the silver jubilee edition.

For now, Rempo Lu is partially ready rather than fully complete. The playing surface and floodlights are in place, but the venue’s final readiness will depend on whether the remaining spectator, player and sanitation facilities can be completed—or suitably managed—in the next three weeks.