Thaindian News

By Vaschipem Kamodang
Mokuchung (Nagaland), Jan.6 (ANI): Sports have always been a strong medium of bringing people closer to each other. And this is what Volleyball is doing to the north-east region of the country.
People in the border areas here have witnessed clashes between the two states for a long but a volleyball tournament being held here since 2003 has attracted positive response.
Villagers of New Tssori in Nagalands Mokukchung district here hosted the 6th Volleyball tournament recently.
The tournament involved matches with a difference. The reason being the players here were not competing for medals or popularity. In fact the game was being played in the belief that it would help bring permanent peace and harmony in Assam and Nagaland.
“This is an initiative of peace since there is a lot of border problems between Assam and Nagaland. This volleyball tournament actually plays a vital role in restoring peace and harmony among the people of Nagaland and Assam,” said Shidhartha Gogoi, a local resident.
“In this area, we don”t distinguish between States. We are same. Even though we belong to different tribes and different States, but we are all the same. That’’s what we believe,” said Zubeni, another local resident. Thirteen teams from the bordering villages of Assam and Nagaland participated in the tournament.
Hundreds of sports lovers and others converged here to watch the tournament and cheered their favourite team.
The annual Volleyball tournament is held alternately in bothNagaland and Assam.
The organization of such an event also conveyed a message for those in power in Dispur and Kohima (Nagaland) that amicable solutions can be found for the decade old impasse over the demarcation of the inter-state border. (ANI)