Skip to content Skip to navigation

Celebrating Independence Day through football

India has just celebrated the 67th Independence Day on 15th August. There has been much talks about Narendra Modi's speech countered after the Prime Minister's speech, news about blast in Manipur, blast in Kokrajhar, the burning issue of separate state demand, and articles being published in news papers about how true is our freedom in true sense, and also organisations and news makers congratulating people on the occasion on the I-Day.

Keeping aside all these political talks, even personal problems, in Guwahati, a section of people celebrated the Independence Day through football in the spirit of the game without any differences and politics in their minds, what can be a more better way to celebrate the I-Day in such a holistic manner.

In general the celebrating the Independence Day in Guwahati, begins much ahead of 15th August and the celebration begins with the commencement of various football tournaments being held across Guwahati, besides other parts of the state which does not go unnoticed. Football tournaments are organised by various clubs, localities villages, individuals etc. that sets the festive mood for the celebration of the I-Day for both the football lovers and the general public. To put it rightly, these days football tournaments have become synonymous with Independence Day celebration in Guwahati and its adjoining areas. "Off late there are lot of football tournaments organised on the occasion of I-Day, and it is very good to see people enjoying it,and through it a lot of young talents get a platform which is encouraging for the new generation" says, Dhruva Hazarika, Director of Sports and youth affairs, Assam, who had come to inaugurate the football tournament in Lokhra. "We also use to play a lot of football matches during our times while celebrating the Independence Day", he added.

There are hundreds of football tournaments organised on the occasion of Independence Day, and hundreds of teams move here and there playing football, not only promoting the Game but promoting unity, understanding and peace, and thus celebrating Independence in the right spirit.The football trend some years back was not as good as it is being seen in the present time, and it is good to see people going back to football tournaments to celebrated Independence Day. "These days are really good to see so many football tournaments being held in Guwahati during the Independence Day celebration, but tings were not that good may be some 10 years back. There are lot of good players i can see in this small tournaments, we need a lot of sponsors to groom these young talents" added Sagar, who had played for Mohan Bagan, and now plays for Railways. He had came to play for a amateur club, at Janta Bhawan on the occasion of Independence Day.

During this time, people from all walks of life, people doing Jobs, Business, Vegetable vendors, meat sellers,, Rikshaw pullers all participates in football tournaments for the love of the game and a positive environment is being created on the occasion of Independence Day celebration. Since the militant groups call Bandhs and boycott the Independence Day, people find a better way to celebrate the Independence Day through playing football.

"It is nice to play all over during the Independence Day time, and we love to play, there are so many tournaments",said Chandra Boro, who,s team has come all the way from Nalbari district to play a local Football tournament in a hilly village in Sonaighuli.

Mr. Suren , who owns a meat shop has taken out time to join a Independence Day celebration football tournament in Lokhra, and says that they have been celebrating Independence Day through Football since long time and that since there are bandh calls during the I-Day through out the State of Assam, so they prefer to celebrate I-Day through football.

"We have to develop our team to play in these tournaments during Independence Day and have to participate in more tournaments durinf these season" Said Jadu Gogoi,a veteran Referee,who had also joined a team to play a local football tournament, while his juniors are shocked to see Jadu Gogoi, playing at the age of 63. Another veteran player Mr. Gajen who is much popular in the local tournaments because of his skill and stamina even at the age of 51, who is a regular participant in football tournaments while his son also joins his father in the team. The Lokhra Udyan Sangha, this time felicitated this veteran player and asked him to revel his secrets,while encouraging young players." We want you to play till the age of 60" said one of the member of the Lokhra Udyan Sangha.

Tournaments are organised in categories like, playing with Boots and also Bare foot tournaments, 7 side tournaments, 11- side, and also 9- side tournaments depending upon the capacity of the Playground. Prize money are as high as 50,000, and can come down to even Rs.3000 as per capacity, there are also prizes like a Goat, a Pig besides giving away Cups and Cash awards. Matches organised between the Non-Married boys and Married people, and in some place women football matches are also being organised.Football tournaments during the I-Day celebration in a true sense caters the need of all sections of people in the society that creates the mood for celebrating Independence Day.May be in days to come the popularity of this I-Day football tournaments might be recognized as a " Independence Day football festival",and trophies are named after local freedom fighters.

Author info

Peter Alex Todd's picture

Journalist, musician.

Add new comment

Random Stories

Snakebite blots on healthcare in Udalguri district

30 Jun 2017 - 9:53pm | Robertson Tanti
The poor medical facilities in tea estates of Assam have come into focus once again after a tea worker died due to lack of treatment after being bitten by a snake on Thursday. Twenty Eight year old...

Tripura municipalities to go for by-election on Dec 22

24 Nov 2018 - 12:08pm | Prasenjit Saha
Agartala: The State Election Commission of Tripura is going to hold by-election to Municipalities across the state to fill up vacancies of the Urbal Local Bodies on December 22. The vacancies have...

SC grants bail to Rakesh Paul

16 Aug 2017 - 12:18pm | AT New Delhi
In a huge respite for Rakesh Paul, the Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to the former Assam Public Service Commission eight months after Dibrugarh police caught him on cash for job...

PC stresses infrastructure for development

3 Jan 2009 - 12:02am | editor
Home Minister P Chidambaram says strengthening infrastructure will help Assam ensure development.Inaugurating the State Bank of India's 11,111th branch in Sonapur, he said bank loans meant...

Other Contents by Author

Following a week-long inspection tour of the six venues chosen for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, and with less than 200 days to go until the footballing talents of the future compete on the pitch, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) have released the official match schedule and unveiled the tournament slogan. The tournament will start in New Delhi and Navi Mumbai with the first double headers being held on 6 October. The quarter-finals will be in Goa, Guwahati, Kochi and Kolkata, while Guwahati and Navi Mumbai will host the semi-finals. The final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 will be held in Kolkata’s iconic Salt Lake Stadium.
Prominent layers, human rights activities goverment officials of India and Myanmar rubbed shoulders recently at Myanmar where they fine tuned a slew of measures to firmly deal with human trafficcking. The culsultation was held to establish a standard operating procedure (sop) on providing, assistance & protection to victims of trafficking in human beings at Naypyi Taw on June 16-18 and Yangon, Myanmar on June 18-20. The Indo-Myanmar Consultation on developing Standard Operating Procedure to address Cross Border Human Trafficking was participated by Law Enforcement Agencies of the two countries to view and resolve the challenges of assisting human trafficking survivors and those who...
There is rare dose of good news for the AIDS patients on the planet. Courtesy Dr Dhaniram Baruah. After many years of intense research, the genetic engineer claimed to have cured the dreaded disease. That too with only five injections.Dr Baruah on Wednesday paraded before the media Vijender Singh, who revealed that he is out of danger. The middle aged man from Haryana claimed recovery after he was attended by the controversial genetic engineer. Dr. Baruah further got released two volume of his epoch making books on AIDS Reaching the Unreachable with Baruah Combat Genes” by Vijender Vijendra Singh told reporters that some seven years back he had come to know about Dr. Baruah and...
Assam buys yet another bad name. A farmer died after self-immolation attempt in Dispur on Monday. That too because of land patta. The man in the centre of shock is Pramode Boro. The 45 year old carpenter by profession from Gorchuk took this extreme and unprecedented step sending shockwaves across the state. It was on Monday. The clock struck at 9-50. All of a sudden, he got down from a vehicle in front of Dispur state secretariat. Immediately after landing in the public place, Pramod whose dress was wet with kerosene set himself on fire with the match he had in his pocket in full view of the security forces. Immediately after it blazing fire engulfed him entirely. Blankets and water were...
Following the hue and cry after media reporting on the death of a woma at Lakhimpur with as "rape and murder" media,s own conclusion before the official report had not only tarnish the image of the state but has forced to ask the credibility of the Media, especially the National media, however not generalising all the National or local media. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that " Every News paper has a responsibility, without verifying one should make sensational news, they can wait for a day, this sensational news creates distrust,leads to violence, so media or anybody should not come to conclusion without verifying the fact,particular responsible people of the nation, i am...
Assam produces 55% of India's total tea production. However, producers of Assam tea do not sell their tea through the Guwahati Tea auction centre which is a big concern for Assam tea. "We are giving agriculture subsidy of 6% and levying only 0.5 % Tax, yet the tea producers are not selling tea from Guwahati Tea Auction Centre", said Industry Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, at a press conference on Tuesday held at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre. The industry department has been trying to woo producers to sell their tea through the GTAC, so that the standard of the Assam tea can be judged and thus promoting Assam tea.The GTAC was established in 1970, with lots of aspirations for Assam Tea, but...
BJP's National spokesperson Tarun Vijay  addressed a press conference in Guwahati on Tuesday, where he said that the city of Guwahati and Shillong should be developed as a International knowledge hub of Science and Technology for East Asia and South East Asia. Vijay stated that the pool of talents of North Eastern states have not been given bigger platform nor infrastructure in sports and education by the Government for so long. As a result, there is huge drainage of talents to different parts of the country. Many young people due to lack of platform chooses the wrong path. "I want that all political party should come together leaving behind their political ideas for infrastructure...
The Narengi Army public school in Guwahati, will soon a have a full fledged football stadium in the Name of "Bir Chilarai", the great general of the 15th Century Koch dynasty.The foundation stone of the stadium in the Army School premises on Saturday, was laid by General G S Chima, HQ 51, who is also the patron of the school. Along with was present Indrajeet Saikia, the President of Koach Yuba Chatra Parishad. On this occasion a book on Bir Chilarai was also released.Speaking to the gathering of students the general had asked the students to read about Bir Chilarai, who know for his fast movement the prey bird "Kite", He added " I am aware that football runs in the blood of the people of...
An Indian Army contingent of 160 member landed in Guwahati Airport on Thursday after ending a 10-day-long joint military exercise with the Chinese counterpart. Brigadier D S Shisodia, who led the team for the joint anti-terrorism training exercise at Miaergong of Sinchuan Province, southwest of China, said that it was good experience all together with professional interaction and good training on counter terrorism It will boost the relation of the two nations. "I hope it will promote regional tranquility along the border and improve mutual trusts". He added.Code-named 'Hand-in-Hand 2013', the joint training session included demonstration of weapons, physical training, handling IED, exchange...
May it be insurgency, rebel groups or their factions, everyone now seems to be getting more into amassing funds rather than anything serious. Bargaining for peace seems away from finding the light at the end of the tunnel.What eludes people in general is whether all the peace deals come to an fruitful end. If experts are to be believed there is a long way to go and the new groups are more into money-making.“They are all bunch of goons and thus there is no point talking to these factional groups”, said Wasbir Hussain, at a seminar entitled “Peace Audit North East”, held in Guwahati jointly organized by the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), New Delhi and the Centre for...