It is important to keepthe football flame alive at the grassroots. The second edition of the Football Carnival organised by RevSportz will continue to do that. There will be 24 teams each in the men’s and women’s sectionsof this month-long tournament aimed also at ensuring that sports is about gender equality. The prize money and the individual awards are the samefor both categories.
This initiative has received the whole-hearted support of some well-known faces in Indian football. At a packed house at the Press Club in Kolkata on Thursday, former players of different generations,like Jamshid Nassiri, Mehtab Hossain, Kuntala Ghosh Dastidar, Nasir Ahmed, Habibur Rehman Mondal and Smarajit Sarkar applauded the effort and said that tournaments of this kind were needed to sustain the passion for football in West Bengal and India.
“It’s a great initiative,” said Jamshed. “I should say that footballers, whether they are boys or girls, are very lucky to get this kind of an occasion coming towards them. They are getting a platform to excel in their ambition. There is a lot of talent in Bengal, but sometimes, they don’t get opportunities. The way you are trying to promote this, it’s great. This will benefit footballers from Bengal. Children will get motivation and I hope this platform will help Indian football.”
The Iranian, who made Kolkata his home while plying his trade as a striker in the top flight of club football in the 1980s, knows local football inside out. The father of Mohun Bagan Super Giants forward Kiyan Nassiri, he has been in Kolkata for about four decades. He has worked formally to develop football at the district and village levels in West Bengal. And he is pleasantly surprised to note that this tournament could mean so much to women’s football.
This is what Kuntala thinksas well. “This is football for all,”said the former captain of the Indian women’s team. “I’ve seen this kind of things abroad. But in India, it’s a new concept. The biggest part according to me is the respect given to women’s football. It’s not about equal prize money. It’s about equal respect. That’s why I praise this initiative. It’s huge for me to see this. In our days, sponsors or organisers for women’s football were not even an idea.”
There used to be a culture of playing football for fun. That has dwindled over the years. There are football coaching centres,where the right things are taught, but spontaneously rushing to the groundevery afternoon just for the love of the game is something different. One of the goals of the Football Carnival is to revive that. And that’s what caught the attention of Mehtab, one of the best midfielders in India during his time, which was not too long ago.
“We used to just go there and play,” said Mehtab. “Nobody cared if anyone was going to become a professional footballer. That was the essence of football in the neighbourhood. And it’s important to have that if we are a football-loving people. The standards will improve when passionate involvement increases. That fervour has gone missing. This Football Carnival is a great concept because it will rekindle that. Who knows, you may even find a fine player.”
Just in its second year, and with sponsors like Tata Steel, Ageas Federal Life Insurance, Wow Momo and Coca Cola and Limca Sportz on board, this Football Carnival is not only about exciting prizes. There is a thought behind the process. After the first edition, which saw foreign players in a few teams, it was decided that this competition would be restricted to Indians, for the benefit of local footballers.
Former goalkeeper Nasir provided fresh food for thought. He said this kind of a tournament should have an age limit, so that children learning the game in coaching centres coulddisplay their talent. “In an open tournament with no age bar, it’s difficult for kids to make a mark,” said Nasir. “This is a superb initiative and it will be better if it becomes a breeding ground for youngsters.”
Nasir’s feelings were echoed by Habibur, the former India defender, who has the rare distinction of representing the holy trinity of Kolkata football — Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting.
The guests were unanimous that there is no dearth of talent. But there is a lack of avenues for them to blossom. “I was the coach of Jharkhand in the national U-17 championship,”said Smarajit, the former Mohun Bagan player. “The Bengal team finished runners-up. We lost in the semi-finals. I was amazed to see the richness of talent in the Bengal team. This tournament can cater to more such talents lying unnoticed.”
Thatis one objective of the Football Carnival, which begins on November 25. The other purpose is to foster the spirit of football and sports in an organised manner at a grassroots level, which produces the greatest of players but remains unnoticed at the end of the day. This is for all those who love football and in celebration of the game that liberates. Another great player may or may not come out of this. But it will make sure that everybody plays. After that? Who knows!
Also Read: The RevSportz Football Carnival is Back – Bigger and Better