MOKOKCHUNG: The 5th Padmashree W. Nokdenlemba Open Volleyball Tournament was inaugurated on Wednesday at the Imkongmeren Multi Sports Complex in Mokokchung, organised by Ao Students' Conference (AKM).
Themed 'One Team, One Spirit,' teams from all parts of Nagaland are coming together to celebrate the legacy of Padmashree W. Nokdenlemba, the first president of AKM whose contributions to the Naga society are still remembered.
A grand inauguration ceremony of the tournament was held with Sharingain Longkümer, Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, as the Guest of Honour.
He was appreciative to be part of the event as he stated that the tribute to Nokdenlemba was a commendable initiative. According to Longkümer, Nokdenlemba remained the kind of man known to be a man of virtue and wisdom, and it is seldom achieved to be remembered after death. He called on everybody to live according to the values and legacy of the man.
Nine teams, comprising players from town Mokokchung, villages in the district, and teams from Kohima and Wokha districts, took the oath.
Longkümer addressed the players and asked them to accept the spirit of the team and sportsmanly values through mutual support of each other's strength and weakness. He hammered that true team spirit lies in knowing one another without word.
He stated that the winning team would be the one which demonstrates understanding whereas the losing party should learn from it and win next.
The three-day tournament, starting from 9 to 11 October, will see a total of nine teams participating in this tournament. The inaugural match took place immediately after the opening ceremony, and in a closely contested thriller, United Changki defeated Evergreen Club Ungma with scores of 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, and 25-17.
The tournament has a prize pool of Rs 2,40,000, well matched with interesting prizes. The winning team will pocket Rs 1,00,000 and the runners-up get Rs 50,000. The two teams, which would have qualified to enter the semi-finals, have been awarded Rs 20,000 each, besides individual awards: Rs 10,000 for the Best Setter, the Best Spiker, Best Libero, Player of the Tournament, and Emerging Player of the Tournament.
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