Kokrajhar can become a football hub: AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey

Guwahati, Nov 5: If we talk about football in Assam, Kokrajhar is one of the names that comes to your mind. And it has proved it time and again. If Halicharan Harzary and Apurna Narzary are some of the brightest names the western Assam town has produced, the Durand Cup success in the last two years has made it a regular venue in the football calendar of the country.

Going forward, Kokrajhar has the potential to become a football hub in the days to come. This is what All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey thinks. In an exclusive interview with The Assam Tribune, the former goalkeeper said that with the help of the respective state governments, the federation is eyeing to expand the football activities in the region.

“All I can say is Kokrajhar has the potential to become a major football hub in Assam and the Northeast in general. I would like to add in the same breath that Assam has several districts, where football is extremely popular,” Chaubey said.

He further said with the support of stakeholders and the government, it can be turned into a football hub.

“Turning a city or place into a football hub doesn’t need a huge budget but the right intention and planning. It can be done with the support of the stakeholders. The most important thing is the right infrastructure,” Chaubey said. “In case a corporate house steps in; it can be a cement company or an oil company or any other business house or even the state government, and provide a basic infrastructure with the right facilities, then the place can be developed into a football hub.”

Apart from hosting the Durand Cup matches for two consecutive years, Kokrajhar has also hosted the qualifier round of the Santosh Trophy early this year at the SAI Stadium.

“On both occasions, we found big spectators’ interest,” Chaubey said, adding that it was a great gesture from Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who announced a grant of Rs. 150 crores for building a new stadium in Kokrajhar. He also highlighted how the Nehru Stadium would be converted into a world class football stadium with the Assam government announcing Rs 630 crore for it.

Manipur and other states:

Highlighting the region's pivotal role, Chaubey said Manipur alone contributes approximately 24 per cent of the players across national teams. However, the State had never hosted a Senior National men’s competition until AIFF organised the Tri-Nation Tournament in Imphal in March 2023, with Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan also participating. The event drew large, enthusiastic crowds and prompted Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh to sign a MoU with AIFF for more football development programmes in the State.

AIFF's next stop was Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, where the Santosh Trophy final rounds were held. The packed stadium, though the host team was not in the final, underscored the sport’s popularity in the region. “Seeing this passion, I requested Arunachal’s chief minister, Pema Khandu, for a modern stadium, and he immediately announced Rs 200 crore grant for a new stadium,” Chaubey said. AIFF has now earmarked a high-altitude stadium in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, for National Team preparations, situated at 10,000 feet — a promising venue for high-altitude training.

The federation's efforts also extended to Tripura and Nagaland. Agartala recently hosted group matches for the Women’s Senior National Championship’s Rajmata Jijabai Trophy, and Kohima is likely to host some I-League matches. Both Tripura chief minister Manik Saha and his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio expressed strong support for football development.

According to Chaubey, state commitments to football development, in partnership with AIFF, total approximately Rs 1,000 crore across the Northeast. "We are proud and immensely thankful for these collaborations," he remarked.