We are moving towards right direction: Gumpe Rime

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: Although the Northeast produced several players for the top level clubs of the country yet hardly you will see the footballer from Arunachal Pradesh there. However, one such rare footballer is Gumpe Rime. Former goalkeeper of Shillong Lajong, who also represented a few other top level clubs of the country, recently visited Guwahati. During this visit, Gumpe, who is now associated with Reliance Foundation Young Champs and AFC Level 1 coach educator, spoke exclusively to The Sentinel. Here is the excerpt.

The Sentinel (TS): Tell us about the Reliance Foundation Young Champs programme.

Gumpe: It was launched with the aim of providing top football talent in the country between 12 and 18 years of age. The programme seeks to provide aspiring football talents from across India the opportunity to hone their skills with world-class facilities and best-in-class training.

TS: At present how many footballers are enrolled in the Foundation?

Gumpe: We have nearly 82 children who have been selected from different parts of the country and among them around 25 are from the Northeast.

TS: You have been working with the new generation footballers of India. Share your experience!

Gumpe: Players are very talented and they are eager to learn. All of them are getting good facilities for training and that too at the very early stage of their career. It will really help the players to shape their career very well.

TS: Your comment on the future of Indian football.

Gumpe: I think we are moving towards the positive direction. Work on the grassroots level already started in our country. At the same time we are hosting top class leagues- ISL- along with major international Football championships like FIFA U-17 World Cup and others. So we should see some major changes in football in the coming days.

TS: You feel infrastructure is not the ultimate in football. Reason your feeling!

Gumpe: Yes. It's true. In football Assam has the best football infrastructure and quality logistic support in comparison to the other NE states. But still they are lagging behind. I believe proper planning and to put the right person in the right place is more essential.

TS: Can you share your playing days in Guwahati?

Gumpe: Oh! Those are the golden days of my career. I was selected by SAI Guwahati and groomed there for a while. I started my club football with Rising XI. So Guwahati played a big role in my career and the city will always remain in my heart.

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