‘Nursery Of Indian Football’

‘This is the nursery of Indian football’

The madness for football in Shillong is seen to be believed. And with the artificial turf set to be laid down soon, the beautiful game is all set to receive another fillip in the state.

AIFF.com caught up with B.M Lanong, Meghalaya’s Deputy Chief Minister, also the Minister for Sports in the State to understand the secret behind the success for the sport in the Northeastern part of the country. Excerpts:

There are so many footballers from northeast playing at the highest level. What do you attribute it to?

It all boils down to the legacy which we inherited from our ancestors. Football has been an integral part of our culture since long.

The British popularised the sport and since then we have been trying to develop football holistically. Huge crowd turnouts have been a feature of the sport since the 50s.

How come so many footballers from the region make it to the mainstream unlike other states?

Football is a part of the curriculum in our schools. Right from the primary section, there are inter-class and inter-school tournaments which are held on a regular basis. In addition, the rivalry among the localities adds to the development of the sport. It’s a structural process.

The best part stays the youngsters never lose their passion and aim to make it big at the National level.

How much of an impact will the artificial turf have in Shillong?

We are waiting for the D-day. With the kind of weather we have here, maintaining a ground is tough. With the turf, we won’t have that headache for sure. It will encourage all to hone their skills without any interruption. The turf will further revolutionize the sport in the state.

How much important is it for the region to have a representation in the I-League?

We are already there but we need a club representation on a regular basis. If you look around, there are so many footballers playing for India from the U-16 level to the senior National Team.

I call the region the nursery of football in the country. If we have a club from the region, it will further inspire the youth.

The youngsters will be able to see in front of their eyes what mainstream football is all about.

AIFF