North East Soccer League Can Help A Lot: Hemendra Nath Brahma

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: The officials of the different State Football Associations advocated a football league exclusively for the North East Clubs during their participation in the soccer seminar organized by the Dr T Ao Birth Centenary Celebration Committee in the city yesterday. The secretary of the Assam Football Association Hemendra Nath Brahma, in a discussion with the Sentinel on Saturday, fully supported the proposal. Here is the excerpt.

TS:Different State football Associations of the North East want a football league exclusively for the region. Your comment.

HNB:Yes. This type of discussion is going on in the football circle of the North East for a while. Actually after the U-17 World Cup, which was organized by India, the enthusiasm towards the game in the region has grown up. More and more players are coming up in this game. So it will be good if we get the opportunity to organize a football league on regular basis among the top clubs of the North East. It can really help the soccer of the region to develop in a very big way.

TS: Do you have any formal discussion in this regard among the officials of the State soccer Associations in North East?

HNB: Till date no such meeting was held. However the process is on. The officials of the different State Football Associations of the region are expected to meet in the next month and we will try to give a concrete shape on the proposed league in that meeting.

TS: It may require a huge fund to organize a NE Soccer League. How would you arrange?

HNB: It’s very true. If we want to arrange such meet we need huge fund. However it is too early to make any comment on it. Let us take a concrete steps on the proposed league. Once it happens we will go for arranging fund.

TS: What will be the criteria to select the clubs for the competition?

HNB: I feel only the champion club of respective state should be allowed to take part in this competition.

TS: That means you too need to revive the Assam Premier Club championship League.

HNB: Absolutely. Actually we need to revive all the soccer tournaments in our state and only then the football will make progress in Assam. We have planned to meet the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and will also seek his help to revive the game in the state.

TS: Is there any plan from the Assam Football Association to develop soccer in the grass root level?

Yes. We have already planned to start four soccer academies in different parts of Assam. We are working to arrange funds for that. If requires we can take the help of state government also in this regard.

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