Skip to content Skip to navigation

Celebrating Independence Day through football

By Peter Alex Todd |

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.

  • 12229 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Khasi Traditional dreess attracting Tourist

At a time when Globalization and westernization is threatening the very socio-culture of every tradition specially the small ethnic tribes, it has become utmost important to introduce culture in whatever way it can be and whenever, wherever it is possible. Shillong has always been a favorite tourist destination for tourists, no doubt that every tourist falls in love with the scenic beauty of the “Scotland of the east”, but perhaps not many desired tourist had got the chance to step into the shoes of the Khasi Tradition or to show a short of respect to the Place and the people during their short visit. But now even for a short time visitor one can take back beautiful...

Village girls in Rani taking up Football

Love for the game of football in the entire North East India is not new, people in Assam also love football and had produced good players in the past. However female participation in the game and achieving accolade is not that have been seen too often. The reason expert says is lack of good coaching facilities, sponsors problem from both private and the government and thus not too many tournaments for the girls for exposure. Cycling and walking through long dusty roads from different villages in greater Rani area, school girls gather in the Rani High school field with dreams in their eyes, a dream to play good football, a game that is not alien to them. However no tournaments or...

Arabinda Rajkhowa's release, the new year's gift

Christmas was literally over but Santa Claus had kept a special gift for the people of Assam and the gift came through Assam’s Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi,s Government. A new year’s gift and a belated gift of Christmas, yes I mean to say about the great timing of Arabinda Rajkhowa's release on 1st January 2011. The New Year’s messages is loud and clear to the people of Assam, Help the congress getting absolute majority in the forth coming Assam Assembly election, a far more better result than the recently concluded Bihar election. That is all about what Politics is and the people in general are always made to live in Political illusion. The moon is always beautiful but there is also the...

Villagers protecting forest in Boko

Taking a stroll around the village of Sijubari No.1, in Kamrup district of Boko, would remind few lines of Poet Robert Frost, "Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow." The mesmerizing forest cover of Sijubari village however misses the snow only, but the woods are lovely, deep and dark. At the very first sight of the forest one would naturally wonder as how these beautiful woods have not been affected by destruction that has deteriorated the forest scenario in the entire state of Assam. This normal forest cover engulfing the sijubari village is said to be more than 25 hectors of...

Assamese women’s Taliban Act

Talibans and their Law have earned a bad name through out the world of the civil society, and there is no denying their brutal attitude is as horrible as anyone can imagine. Today the synonym of Taliban is something that is extreme and inhumane and unexpectable to the civil society. So what about a section of Assamese women that is acting TALIBANS in the civilized street and bringing shame to the Assamese community as a whole. Here the reference is being made to the recent incidents of women beating up girls and women in public place and in front of camera without even paying the least respect for the women community. The incidents are of Golaghat and Tezpur some time back. All...

ULFA's relevance and the Assamese Society

As the gap for holding political dialogue between the ULFA leaders and Government seems to be getting closer with the release of the jailed leaders, once again expectations are growing and people in general have started weaving dreams in the twilight. Whenever the question of ULFA is being raised a million dollar question regarding ULFA, s relevance to Assam and the Assamese society in the present context has always been raised. There are many who wants to say ULFA is no more relevant to the Greater Assamese society. Yes, this might be true only in case of Greater Assamese society but not for the “Assamese society”. For me the greater Assamese society consists of those people...

Akhil Gogoi owns a pajero?

Encountering a much unexpected thing might turn our head around any moment and make us ponder over a matter at the cost loosing a good sleep and even temporarily loosing appetite. It happened to me when I had heard from some one that Akhil Gogoi, the general secretary of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity, owns a pajero. I know its not true yet the whole episode which included the reference of Akhil Gogoi having a pajero has more to do with the emotionally blind people of Assam. It took me three long hours of a risk taking journey in a TATA “Winger”, from Goalpara to Mirza on my way to Guwahati after a news coverage to learn about the PAJERO episode. I boarded a Tata Winger...

The Green Hero of Pobitara, Mukul Tamuli.

A Great sense of ecstasy prevailed inside the Pobitara wild Life sanctuary like never before, as the local villagers and the forest guards came forward beating Drums, and cymbals to welcome ranger Mukul Tamuli to his office after he had received the ND TV’s GREENIES Award. Tamuli had received the “Green Hero” award from the President, Prativa Patil on 7th December in Delhi for his effort to keep Rhino Poachers at bay for last the five years. Pobitara Wild Life Sanctuary has the highest density of one horn Rhino population, and with more than 20 villages surrounding pobitara, Rhino’s are easily exposed to poachers, and in fact poaching did take place frequent....

AGP launches website

The President of AGP, Chandra Mohan Patowarytoday launched the Party website - www.asomganaparishad.in - at its head office in Guwahati, with an objective to create awareness about the importance of regional Party in the political field. The launching of the website has come at the time when the forth coming Assam State Assembly election is due in the first half of next year, AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary says that though the website might be of some help in the election for the party, the objective is not the forth coming election., rather it has more deep and serious matters are related to it. The party hopes that the website will help in creating awareness among the...

The Crazy Muslim Autonomous Council demand

The demand for Autonomous Council is not new in the politics of Assam, but how ever what would one comment on the demand for Autonomous Muslim council by Rashul Haque , who is now in the “Congress Gharana”, after being expelled from AUDF for same demand he had raised. One can understand the political demand for a separate Bodoland demanded by the leaders of the BPF and supported by other leaders of the particular community. The demand for separate Bodoland has invited some fierce political reaction from the opposition specially because there are three cabinet ministers in the government. Though morally one can no longer support any division of the state of Assam yet there...