Traditional boat racers have good future: Choudhury

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: Assam Traditional Sports and Dragon Boat Racing Association (ATSDBRA) is working to promote the traditional sports in the State. In a conversation with The Sentinel the secretary of the association Anup Choudhury shared some of the plans that ATSDBRA has taken to uplift the game.

The Sentinel (TS): What role Assam Traditional and Dragon Boat Association (ATDBA) is playing to promote traditional sports in the state?

Choudhury: Due to lack of proper attention we have lost several traditional sports which were once very popular in our society. We are trying to revive those games and also working to promote the existing traditional sports in the State.

TS: Share some of the name of traditional Games which are still popular in Assam.

Choudhury: Boat racing is still one of the most popular traditional sports in Assam and it is being organized mostly at rural areas on regular basis. Tug of war, dhop khel … are a few other traditional games which you can witness in different parts of the State.

TS: Have you chalked out any specific plan to promote traditional sports in Assam.

Choudhury: Yes. We have already visited a few places where boat race is still very popular. We will also organize Dragon boat race competition, it's a kind of traditional boat race, at Tezpur next month and during this competition a festival will also be arranged where our own traditional sports would be displayed.

TS: What is the response of new generation in this field?

Choudhury: We are trying our best to attract new generation towards the traditional sports. Believe me now one can earn name and fame through traditional sports. Dragon boat race is included in the next Asian Games which will be held in Hangzhou, 2022. The competition will also feature in the Asian Beach Games and Asian Youth Games both of which are scheduled to be held in China next year. We are working to produce a few players from our state whom can represent national team in those forthcoming events.

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