The Morning Premier League presented by G-Sports under the banner of Morning Football Association held a programme on Season Launch, team announcement, and jersey launch at Symphony Cafe Kohima with Dr. Tseilhoutuo Rhutso, MLA as the special guest on 29th April 2023.
Addressing the launching programme, Rhutso said he felt encouraged to know about the league and that it was a players-funded league to maintain health and friendships. He said that friendship increases one’s knowledge and confidence and the money they spend on playing the tournament and maintaining their health would be much more beneficial than going to the hospital for a treatment. He also encouraged the players to set an example for the youngsters through their conduct and habits. He also suggested similar leagues be introduced in other districts as well. While stating that the teams would have many leaders, he encouraged the players to use their influence to bring out good leaders in all the districts to witness a prosperous State.
The story of Morning Premier League (MPL) began during the summer of 2011 when a group of 10 to 15 amateur footballers, just for their unconditional love of the beautiful game, decided to drive up to Science College Ground, Jotsoma early one morning to play a match. Soon, what began as a leisure time pass became a daily routine. Most of the time, a match was played between 10 players with 5 individuals in each team with a small goalpost comprising stones and bricks. This group of players then decided to form a club in order to play friendly matches with other clubs.
In 2015, during one of their friendly matches with Amur Falcon Football Club (AFFC), Loben Jamir and Lipok Lemur of MFC came up with the idea of starting a football league along with AFFC if the other players agree with it. The idea was forthcoming and that's how the MORNING PREMIER LEAGUE (MPL) came into being.
Morning Premier League is a unique one-of-a-kind league where matches are played only in the morning from 5:30 - 7:30. The purpose of this league is to create health consciousness, camaraderie, and competitive mentality and to promote sportsmanship in a safe, healthy, and fun-loving environment.
The first season of MPL in 2015 saw the Directorate of School Education Football Club (DSEFC) winning the title. The league started in August 2015 and ended in the month of October. MFA also conducts another tournament which happens during the latter part of the year known as the Lobenkokba Memorial Morning Champions Cup (named after co-founder, Late Lobenkokba Jamir).
With no sponsors, MPL is entirely run from the registration fees and monthly contributions from the respective teams in the League. Without manpower, it is managed by voluntary work and contribution from the individual players. As it follows the norms of international leagues, each game is played and managed as professionally as possible, with qualified officials and statisticians. Each player's profile is administered and updated after every match. Though MPL is mostly looked after and managed by the MFA, it is the dedication and work put in by all the players that is bearing its fruit now. As MPL slowly stops people and turn their head, the organizers invite clubs to come and have a taste of a league football and make MPL the league of Nagaland as envisioned by the founders.
The Morning Premier League 2023 edition starts on 1st May 2023 at 6:40 am at Indira Gandhi Stadium Kohima with 10 Clubs vying for the title where two bottom clubs will be relegated at the end of the season.
(Avika Awomi, IA)
