AIFF decides to honour Talimeren Ao, renames junior girls nationals after him

The AIFF on Wednesday renamed the Junior Girls' National Championship in the name of India's first men's Olympic football captain Doctor Talimeren Ao in its bid to recognize his contribution to the game.

Starting from the 2025-26 season, the tournament will be known as the "Dr. Talimeren Ao National Football Championship for Junior Girls", the AIFF stated.

The championship, now in its 18th edition, has been dominated by Manipur with 11 titles and two runners-up finishes.

In addition to the tournament renaming, the AIFF plans to commission a biography detailing Dr Ao's remarkable journey from his native Changki village in Nagaland to becoming a prominent figure in Indian football, with notable achievements including leading the national team at the 1948 Summer Olympics.

"Dr. Talimeren Ao is an inspiring figure, and his journey must be brought to life in today’s context, or else I’m afraid we probably are the last generation to know of the legends," AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey stated in a release.

"The naming of our Junior Girls National Championship and a biography book, in my view, will be a humble ode by the federation to our national hero -- who went on to captain the first independent Indian football team and the 1948 Summer Olympics," he added further.

Dr Ao was India's first football captain and the flag bearer at the 1948 Olympics. Born in 1918 in Nagaland's Changki village, Ao excelled in football representing Mohun Bagan and India.

Later, he decided to fulfill his father's dream and became a prominent physician, serving as the director of Health Services in Nagaland. He reportedly denied offers from clubs like Arsenal FC to become a doctor.

The AIFF has recently named the Senior Women’s National Championship trophy after Rajmata Jijabai and dedicated the Under-20 Boys National Championship trophy to the Swami Vivekananda Cup.