New Delhi, October 20 Wung United play only one tournament a year but the Manipur club has provided ample players to big teams For Wung United, change is the only constant. The defending champions of the RN Tamchon Trophy have only one thing in common, year after year — their impeccable performance in this tournament, the only one the club plays in every year. The team composition keeps changing and team officials move on to other things apart from football, allowing another set of faces to take centrestage — all this, for some exposure and in search of greener pastures.
On Monday, they entered the semi-finals of the 2008 edition, thrashing DMZP 3-1 at the Ambedkar Stadium. And this when they are not officially registered as a club, something they do not seem too concerned about. “I have heard people call our club and the tournament a ‘local’ one. The basic idea behind the tournament is to highlight the talent of the North-East,”says this year’s team manager Apan Shimray, who earns a living teaching English Literature at Jamia Milia Islamia University. “Apart from the infrastructural and financial shortcomings, what we really miss is the media coverage back home. Now, we have seventeen Delhi-based players out of the 22,” he adds.
The team has scored six goals in four matches compared to 25 goals in six matches last year and is without six of their main players from last year, but Shimray is not upset. On the contrary, he is proud of the six who are absent — since they are all playing for bigger clubs.
“Duidong was picked by Mohammedan Sporting of Kolkata while Ninglei and N Shimrah joined Churchill Brothers. Achan Keising is now playing for a Mumbai club after a few coaches and officials from these clubs spotted them. That’s the purpose of this tournament,” adds Shimray.
One of the six was Sochungmi Raleng, the highest scorer for Services in Santosh Trophy 2008 and currently on a one-year contract with I-League debutants Chirag United. “He (Raleng) was playing for Army XI and then we arranged for his participation in the RM Tamchon Trophy last year. He scored thirteen of the twenty-five goals that we scored.
Three months later, he went to become the highest scorer at the Santosh Trophy and now he is in the main striker for Chirag United,” Shimray adds.
Coach Edmund Hungshi says co-ordination is not an issue. “We prepare in advance through the thirteen units that monitor students from the North-East in various colleges of Delhi University. Then, the sports union of various institutions gives us the best opportunity to finalise,” he says.
Hungshi’s own identity gives an idea what Wung United’s identity is all about. After introducing himself as a former u-14 representative for Manipur, he reveals that he is also a Zakir Hussain College pass-out and has been a coach for two years at Apex School.
And after October 25th (the final day of the tournament), he will go back to studies — reading a few preparatory books on Civil Services. In the other quarter-final on Monday, Sinlung HSA FC beat Chandel United 2-1.
Source:Expressindia.com
On Monday, they entered the semi-finals of the 2008 edition, thrashing DMZP 3-1 at the Ambedkar Stadium. And this when they are not officially registered as a club, something they do not seem too concerned about. “I have heard people call our club and the tournament a ‘local’ one. The basic idea behind the tournament is to highlight the talent of the North-East,”says this year’s team manager Apan Shimray, who earns a living teaching English Literature at Jamia Milia Islamia University. “Apart from the infrastructural and financial shortcomings, what we really miss is the media coverage back home. Now, we have seventeen Delhi-based players out of the 22,” he adds.
The team has scored six goals in four matches compared to 25 goals in six matches last year and is without six of their main players from last year, but Shimray is not upset. On the contrary, he is proud of the six who are absent — since they are all playing for bigger clubs.
“Duidong was picked by Mohammedan Sporting of Kolkata while Ninglei and N Shimrah joined Churchill Brothers. Achan Keising is now playing for a Mumbai club after a few coaches and officials from these clubs spotted them. That’s the purpose of this tournament,” adds Shimray.
One of the six was Sochungmi Raleng, the highest scorer for Services in Santosh Trophy 2008 and currently on a one-year contract with I-League debutants Chirag United. “He (Raleng) was playing for Army XI and then we arranged for his participation in the RM Tamchon Trophy last year. He scored thirteen of the twenty-five goals that we scored.
Three months later, he went to become the highest scorer at the Santosh Trophy and now he is in the main striker for Chirag United,” Shimray adds.
Coach Edmund Hungshi says co-ordination is not an issue. “We prepare in advance through the thirteen units that monitor students from the North-East in various colleges of Delhi University. Then, the sports union of various institutions gives us the best opportunity to finalise,” he says.
Hungshi’s own identity gives an idea what Wung United’s identity is all about. After introducing himself as a former u-14 representative for Manipur, he reveals that he is also a Zakir Hussain College pass-out and has been a coach for two years at Apex School.
And after October 25th (the final day of the tournament), he will go back to studies — reading a few preparatory books on Civil Services. In the other quarter-final on Monday, Sinlung HSA FC beat Chandel United 2-1.
Source:Expressindia.com
