Priya Ranjan Das Munshi

Imphal, March 8: All India Football Federation (AIFF) president and Union water resources minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi today recommended organising a football championship in memory of Manipur football star Aheibam Borchand Singh.

Das Munshi, accompanied by Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, AIFF vice-president Atou Mezhaur, power minister Phungzathang and All Manipur Football Association (AMFA) president A. Santosh Kumar, offered condolences to the bereaved family of Aheibam Borchand Singh, former AMFA general secretary and AIFF vice-president, who passed away on December 15.

Das Munshi said he would table the proposal for organising a football championship in the memory of Borchand during the next executive committee meeting of the AIFF.

The AIFF president also promised to help the AMFA if it organised any regional-level tournament in the memory of the footballer.

Borchand, winner of the FIFA-IOC International Volunteers? Award in 2001, was one of the driving forces of football in Manipur, first as a referee and then as an administrator.

He was founding secretary of the AMFA in 1976 and the secretary of the Northeastern Football Development Forum.

Borchand was the first player from the Northeast to hold the post of the AIFF?s vice-president from 1997 to 2000.

He served as the manager of the Indian football team thrice ? the Asian under-16 championship in Dhaka in 1993, the 10th Asian women?s meet in Malaysia in 1995 and the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998.

Borchand was appointed observer of the national team during the World Cup Asia group qualifiers in 1998.

Lauding the contribution of Manipur footballers, both men and women, in Indian football, Das Munshi informed the AMFA that Manipur and Delhi have been selected for the FIFA?s special package for football development and promotion. The package will be granted to the two states via the AIFF.

The AIFF chief attended the closing ceremony of the 13th senior women?s national football championship at Khuman Lampak stadium yesterday. He announced a cash award of Rs 5 lakh to the Manipur team, which won the championship for a record 11 times.