Animal As Football Trophy Hurts Mizo Activists

Aizawl, Feb 17 : The offering of mithun as prize for the state-level football in Mizoram for two consecutive years has deeply hurt animal lovers in the state.

Mithun or 'sial' is being offered as a prize, supplementary to the Rs one lakh cash, in a high-profile Red Ribbon inter-village football tournament for two time in a row, organised by UNODC and Mizoram State AIDS Control Society, as part of multi-media campaign against HIV/AIDS.

''Sial was used as supplementary prize in the same tournament last year despite our strong opposition. We are really pained by the use of animal in this year’s tournament again. We will oppose it to the end,'' said Hmingthansanga, president of Association for Environment Protection (ASEP), in a press conference here today.

Last year, the ASEP backed off after the organisers promised that the animal would not be produced at the venue of the final match before the huge crowd of people and would not be ill-treated.

''Whether or not the animal is produced before the crowd during the final match, the use of animal as a football trophy in itself is highly objectionable,'' the ASEP president said.

''Unless the organisers withdraw their decision to use the animal as a trophy, we will fight it to the end. If necessary we will offer ourselves as the trophy in place of the animal if the organisers go on with its plan,'' he added.

In the last tournament, ASEP wrote to the organisers informing their strong opposition.

''The organisers are well aware of our stand. Therefore, we don’t feel the need for writing to them again,'' ASEP leaders said.

Sial or mithun occupied an important place in the olden Mizo society in festivals and religious rituals, where bride price, penalty and others were paid in the form of sial.