#TFGinterview: Mizoram is not a magic state, we have a long way to go - says Mizo football's chief architect Tetea Hmar

THE ANNUAL MEETING of the Mizoram Football Association this year was a sight to see. Not for the dignitaries on stage and the notable players in attendance, not for the individual awards being given out and the live musical performances in between speeches. But simply because of the number of trophies on display in front of the dias.

There was the Santosh Trophy that Mizoram won back in 2014. A couple of junior trophies of the highest level, including the Junior Nationals. And the place of honour was reserved for the big one: the glittering I-League trophy won by Aizawl FC in 2016-17.

The astonishing collection, which any state association in the country would kill to be able to assemble, underlined the near-impossible distance that Mizoram football has traveled in the last few years, going from being a fringe player in the national scene to dominating it at all levels.

And much of the credit for this tremendous turnaround is given to MFA General Secretary Tetea Hmar, the brain behind the game-changing Mizoram Premier League that triggered a footballing renaissance in the state.

Attentive, down to earth and always keen on the details, Mr Hmar ran around busy as ever, hosting the proceedings on stage, talking to guests, even playing director for the all-player photo session afterwards. And despite all that, there was no fatigue or decline of enthusiasm in his voice when he joined TFG for a brief conversation afterwards.

We started with the obvious question. Mizoram's rise in Indian football, culminating in Aizawl FC winning the top division league, has taken everyone by surprise. But what about him, the one who envisioned a sea change in the state's fooballing structure? Did he see it coming? Mr Hmar gave a smiling response,

"I knew this would happen eventually. But I never believed this would happen in just a couple of years. When we started the Mizoram Premier League, the aim was to produce as many players as possible who can play in the I-League. The other goal was to have our own team, from Mizoram, in the I-League. Aizawl FC qualifier for I-League in the third year of the Mizoram Premier League and they won the I-League in the fifth year of the Mizoram Premier League. This is something which is beyond our dream, in fact... when we think about the potential and talent in Mizoram, I honestly believed that we had what it takes to become the Champions of India, but I never believed that it would come so soon."

It's been no secret that Mizoram is home to some exceptional footballing talent. The likes of Shylo Malsawmtluanga, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Lalrindika Ralte, Robert Lalthlamuana have made their mark at the highest level of domestic football as well as for the national team. But until recently, Mizoram had no presence in national level professional club football, as the local clubs did not have the funds to compete beyond that. So when Mr Hmar began with his efforts to get the Mizoram Football League going, there were enough skepticism and challenges waiting for him and the MFA,

"When we started, the main concern was to sustain the league. Even though we had sponsorship, there was lots of talk about whether we would be able to make it work. We tried to set up our own system where we could pay back the football clubs in terms of gate receipt and such... we went into the league with a lot of drive."

The Mizoram Premier League, launched in 2012 with low budget community clubs but a good corporate backer and a sizeable television deal with ZoNet, took the state by storm. The matches, held under floodlights at the historic Lammual Stadium in Aizawl, drew near capacity crowds and the viewership was off the charts across the state. The matches were fast-paced and skillful, an undeniable testament to how deep the pool of local talent goes in Mizoram. And the professional setup of the MPL gave the relatively wealthy clubs like Aizawl FC and Chanmari FC enough confidence to take a gander at the 2nd Division League. The rest quickly became history. 

Looking back, Mr Hmar was quick to admit the contribution of everyone connected to Mizoram football in this unprecedented success story, 

"It may have been me and a few friends who came up with the idea but we have a really good system backing us. The clubs do their bit, the Mizoram Football Association and the state government back us completely. And we have a very good media backup as well. So all of this support helps us run the league very well... at first we only had one artificial turf, at Lammual. But the government has been very active in building infrastructure. They built the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, and we have another turf coming up at the new academy promised by the central government. We are also building infrastructure in other districts so the clubs from there don't feel the gap in facilities any more when they come to play in Lammual."

But he quickly followed that up with words of caution, the need to remain vigiland, hungry and grounded, and not letting the success get to the head,

"See, after Aizawl FC won the I-League, everybody is talking big about Mizoram football. But we have to talk about the reality. In reality, we don't have a professional infrastructure at all levels. Aizawl FC and Chanmari FC may be able to compete at the national level but not all Mizoram Premier League clubs can do that. Most of the MPL clubs are community based teams running on shoestring budgets, they can't compete outside Mizoram. The success of Aizawl FC has caught attention of the whole nation and its media, and they think Mizoram is a magic state. But it's not. In football, anything can happen, but that doesn't mean we are the best in the country. We have to stay humble and grounded. Winning the national league is not something that will happen every year. We obviously want to make it happen again and again, but for that we have to start from the grassroots and develop the sport from the junior level all the way up. Even then, success is not guaranteed."

But the plan to build the sport from ground up throughout the state is already underway, explained Mr Hmar,

"We have an agreement with the Tata Trust to train all the grassroot level coaches and we want them to at least obtain the D License. And once they are good enough for C License we'll help them with that. The target is to produce as many licensed coaches as possible from the state. Right now, we have many great players, but we don't have enough coaches and good referees. In comparison, our neighbouring state Manipur has lots of good coaches and referees. So these are the two areas we need to work on immediately... we probably have the most football friendly state government in the country. Look at how many grounds they have already built. Look at the sports budget. Even though they don't have the biggest of funds available, they will definitely be able to upgrade the existing stadiums."

And while Indian football has settled down for a summer break, Mr Hmar is relentless as ever in his duties. The local season in Mizoram gets underway early and he counted off the tournaments he was already working to organize,

"At the end of July, the Independence Day Cup will start. Then we have Super Cup and Mizoram Premier League will begin. Our focus is now on getting the grounds ready to host regular matches in the domestic season and also prepare the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium for the national and international level games. We have a long season ahead and our hands are full, there's no time to rest."

It's this zeal and uncompromising dedication to his duties that has made Tetea Hmar a folk hero among those who follow Mizoram football closely. Speaking to young players and fans, one can hear stories of how he has for years undertaken multiple roles at the MFA, how he has spotted players in academies and helped them get trials at clubs, giving rise to some of Mizoram's biggest footballing superstars. He has run around the country to help Mizo players in clubs and academies in other states, and even opened the doors of his own home to offer shelter to young players in town for trials or tournaments.

At the grand celebration held at Lammual when the Aizawl FC team returned from Shillong with the I-League trophy, Tetea Hmar was greeted with a loud chant of his own name from the thousands of fans assembled at the stadium. That's not something the regular state association secretary gets from the fans, and Mr Hmar, usually all-business, had a hard time holding back his tears.

Perhaps Aizawl FC becoming the Champions of India was the biggest vindication of his efforts at MFA yet, but given his continued dedication to build a professional structure for Mizoram football that will sustain itself and help grow the sport for years to come, there's a good chance there will be many such moments of triumph along the way that will add to his legacy.

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