Langsning Greenergy Lions continue their winning streak in Meghalaya Baby League 2018

While the world’s eyes are glued on the quarterfinals of the World Cup 2018 taking place in Russia, here’s another league to keep an eye on.On 30th June, Langsning Greenergy Lions had their third straight week of 100% wins as they beat Unified Gorkha Gators in all five age group matches of the Meghalaya Baby League 2018.

Under glorious sunny skies, the children of the eight different teams played their hearts out in the 20 matches held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex. A total of 140 goals were scored, with the Greenergy Lions scoring 37 of these without conceding a single goal. The other matches in the Western Conference were held between Little Star Clouded Leopards and Kickstart FCC Rhinos. There were three victories for the Rhinos, one for the Leopards and one draw.

Over in the Eastern Conference, Touchline NE Cubs won three of their matches against Nongthymmai GC Scorpions, with the latter victorious in the other two, while Sunnydale School Doves managed two wins against the JNS Jaguars. The latter won one match while there were also two draws.

As is usually the case, the 4-5-year-olds appeared to have the most fun. While still learning the basics of football (like which end of the field they are supposed to score from) the little tykes are definitely improving slowly as the week's progress and they are a credit to their parents, guardians and coaches.

Meghalaya, like other North Eastern states, is a powerhouse of talented young football players. Currently, only a few states in India have a footballing culture where kids are encouraged to take up the game, and it will take some time before parents and communities accept and give this project the support it needs.

Energetic players from the Under -8 category show-off their dribbling skills during a match

In May this year, Tata Trusts, Meghalaya Football Association and the All India Football Federation launched the Meghalaya Baby League (MBL) 2018, a first ever in Meghalaya. The MBL was kicked off with great fanfare in Shillong with 12 teams comprising of young children in the age group of 4-13 years. The league, which is organized by the Meghalaya Football Association, will be supported and operationally supervised by Tata Trusts through its associate organization, Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood (CML), Guwahati, and shall be conducted under the technical supervision of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

The Meghalaya Baby League aims to give children from the age of 4 to 13 regular exposure to competitive football over a period of six months in order to develop their game, instil confidence and create a base of players that can be drawn on and taken to the next level in their teenage years.

Mr. Biswanath Sinha, Head – North East & East, Tata Trusts, said, “We feel privileged to be able to take part in the launch of this Baby League. This is the first time that Tata Trusts is working with the All India Football Federation and the Meghalaya Football Association. My sincere request is to the parents that the boys and girls are brought to the training sessions regularly throughout the league.”

A Baby League, as the name suggests, is a league structure for kids from the age of five years and above. This league is intended to involve greater participation from children centred as much around match-play as it is on skills development. It is not a new concept and it’s extremely popular in South American countries like Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. In fact, top players like Alexis Sanchez and Luis Suarez have credited their involvement in Baby Leagues as the reasons for their success.

The Meghalaya Baby League is a crucial opportunity to instil discipline in Meghalaya’s youth from a very young age. This is reflected in the team pledge, which calls on players to respect opponents, officials, teammates and coaches, take responsibility and exemplify sportsmanship. The MBL and the teams have also pledged to make the competition plastic-free and environmentally friendly.