Anticipating 800 participants from 20 affiliates
Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 9
The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) will hold a sports festival from March 24 to 27 in Chümoukedima. An initiative of the Sports and Scripture Engagement (SSE) Ministry of the NBCC Youth Department, the event would bring together around 800 participants from the NBCC’s 20 affiliates. The participants will compete in men’s football and women’s volleyball.
Colo Mero, media incharge of the organising committee, said that the event marks a shift in how the church engages young people, who are said to be losing interest to attend conventional worship services. “We are living in a time where traditional styles of ministry are becoming very challenging, especially for the youth. They are losing interest in the regular style of youth fellowships and Bible studies and prayer meetings,” Mero said.
According to the NBCC Youth Secretary Rev N Suhuto Chishi, the organisers are adopting sports as an outreach to the youth and offer an alternative to drug and alcohol. He described the SSE as a ministry about discipleship through sports and engaging young people. He reiterated that the overall objective is to reach out to youths who are moving away from regular church worship.
To achieve this, Chishi said the department has initiated various programs for church youth leaders, including a recent All India Football Federation D-License coaching course in collaboration with the Nagaland Football Association. This was done to promote football at the grassroots level and encourage professionalism within the churches. “Basically, this festival is the culmination of all these initiatives, and now we are preparing to set a model of sports ministry for the churches through this festival,” Chishi said.
Pastor Toshi Longkumer of Dimapur Ao Baptist Arogo said that while trained officials will oversee the matches, a separate chaplaincy committee will conduct morning devotions and vesper programmes.
Assistant Commandant Joseph Sumi, sports officer for Nagaland Police, outlined the tournament structure. The 20 teams will be divided into four groups to play in a league format at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium, Nagaland Police Complex, Chümoukedima. The top team from each group will advance directly to the semi-finals, with the finals slated for March 27.
Rev Chishi revealed that the sports festival is being organised with a budget of Rs 17 lakh, while each of the participating affiliates will bear the expenses on their own. He said that local churches in Dimapur and Chümoukedima have stepped in to provide lodging for the visiting teams.
He further disclosed a proposal to establish an NBCC Sports Centre in Kohima. The planned facility would feature a futsal turf, a fitness gym and a cafeteria. It will also staff a sports chaplain and a professional counsellor. When asked if the planned centre would function as a modern rehabilitation facility, Rev Chishi said the project remains a developing vision.
