Dr Jagdish Kishwan kick starting the tournament

Koilamati, October 7, 2015: Football inspires people and like most sports offers useful lessons for people about importance of teamwork, passion, attitude, success and failures. Also known as the ballet of masses, football brings together people from all generations, which was for all to see during the second edition of the Elephant Cup. It is for this very reason that WTI in partnership with Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund (JTEF), Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and Assam Forest Department (AFD) has organised the Elephant Cup Football tournament for the second consecutive year at Koilamati High School Ground, Karbi Anglong, Assam.

The tournament was kick started on October 7 in presence of Mr Bibison Tokbi, Forest Range Officer, Silonijan; Dr Jagdish Kishwan, Chief Advisor, WTI; Village Head Man; SGB of Koilamati; and Mr Dilip Deori, Project Lead, Karbi Anglong Conservation Project.

The tournament follows the knock-out format and 35 teams from NE Forest Range, Silonijan and Bokajan will take part in the 2015 edition of Elephant Cup. Like it previous avatar, the tournament will help in creating awareness amongst the young and the old about the need for protecting the wildlife of the region.

Guests taking oath of protecting the elephant and other wildlife

Mr Bibison Tokbi, Forest Range Officer, Silonijan, said, “We are happy to be part of WTI’s conservation initiative in Karbi Anglong. I feel that relaying message of elephant conservation through a medium like football in this district will bring fruitful results.”
High point of the inauguration was the oath of protecting the elephant, other wildlife, and its habitats and corridors by the two opening teams, and signing of the elephant pledge by them. A signature campaign on theme, ‘Playing to Save Wildlife’, is also being organised for players, officials and audiences.

Thirty five teams as against thirty teams in the last tournament are participating presently. Villagers from nearby areas and forest staff of Silonijan Range were present in good number.

“We are happy to be part of this popular sports event where our aim is to enlighten the communities about wildlife conservation in Karbi Anglong. We seek whole hearted cooperation and support of the communities for elephant conservation in this part of Assam. The public mood at the opening of the event, to say least, was festive, and the occasion looked like a grand village mela,” said Dr Jagdish Kishwan who also kicked off the tournament.

WTI is actively engaged in elephant corridor securement in Karbi Anglong district of Assam for the last few years with a suitable relocation plan for the inhabitants of corridor villages. The relocation work is on for the residents of Ram Terang village. Already one community hall, a well and electric fencing have been erected under the elephant corridor securing initiative. This initiative falls under WTI’s Karbi Anglong Conservation Project which is being run jointly with support from Elephant Family, JTEF, IUCN (NL), KAAC and AFD.