30 Federation Cup Football

NE Zone qualifying round begins on Sep 25:

New Delhi, Sep 22: The Northeast Zone qualifying round of the 30th Federation Cup football tournament begins on September 25 in Tripura with FC Kukikawan (Mizoram) taking on ASEB (Assam) in the opening match.

Next day, Khliehriat West Club of Meghalaya play North Imphal Sports Association of Manipur.

The qualifiers, introduced under the newly changed format to spread the game across the country on the lines of England's FA Cup, will provide a national platform to newcomers.

The 26 teams have been divided into five zones -- South, East, North-East, North and West -- in the first round and the winner of each group will join the 12 second division I-League teams in the next round of qualifiers.

The first round of qualifiers end on October 26. The 17 clubs will be divided into four groups and the winners of each group will move into the main round where they will be joined by the 12 I-League sides.

In the main round to be played on a league basis, the 16 teams will be divided into four groups and winners of each group will make it to the semi-finals.
Zonal Qualifying Round Fixtures:
North East Zone: Venue (Tripura)
25.9.08: Match 1: FC Kukikawan (Mizoram) Vs ASEB (Assam)
26.9.08: Match 2: Khliehriat West Club (Meghalaya) Vs North Imphal Sports Association
27.9.08: Match 3: Ageya Chalo (Tripura) Vs Winner of Match 1
28.9.08: Match 3: Winner of Match 2 Vs Winner of Match 3

South Zone: Venue (Pondicherry)
23.9.08: Match 1: Sathiyabama (Pondicherry) Vs ICF (Tamil Nadu)

24.9.08: Match 2: Titanium (Kerala) Vs BEML (Karnataka)
26.9.08: Match 3: Winner of Match 1 Vs Winner of Match 2
East Zone: Venue: Rajendra Stadium, Siwan, Bihar
25.9.08: Match 1: SEC Railways (Chhattisgarh) Vs Peerless (IFA)

26.9.08: Match 2: Rail SC (Jharkhand ) Vs SBI (Orissa)
28.9.08: Match 3: Raj Milk Vs Winner Match 2
28.9.08: Match 4: Winner of Match 1 Vs Winner of Match 3
West Zone : Venue (Home & Away)
Group A: 7th Oct 08: Match 1: SESA Goa Vs Gujarat Police (Venue: Goa)

12th Oct 08: Match 2: Gujarat Police Vs SESA Goa (Venue: Gujarat)
Group B: 7th Oct 08: Match 1: BMFC Vs Lions Club (Venue: Maharashtra)

12th Oct 08: Match 2: Lions Club Vs BMFC (Venue: Madhya Pradesh)
20th Oct 08: Match 3: Winner A Vs Winner B Venue (Gujarat/Goa)
26th Oct 08: Match 4: Winner B Vs Winner A (Venue: Maharashtra/Madhya Pradesh)
North Zone: Venue (Gurgaon)
5th Oct 08: Match 1: Raghav Club Vs Him Club
5th Oct 08: Match 2: UP Police Vs Chandigarh FC
6th Oct 08: Match 3: Uttarakhand Police Vs INFC Delhi
6th Oct 08: Match 4: RCF Kapurthala Vs J&K Bank
7th Oct 08: Match 5: Winner of Match 1 Vs Winner of Match No 2
8th Oct 08: Match 6: Winner of Match 3 Vs Winner of Match No 4
10th Oct 08: Match 7: Winner of Match 5 Vs Winner of Match No 6

Football in Baichung Bhutia's Land

FIFA’s help, a major boost for football in Sikkim

Gangtok: Nestled in the foothills of Himalaya, Sikkim is widely known for its rich biodiversity. But not many may know it is also the breeding ground of footballers in India from the northeast. The State recently got a major boost, when world’s biggest football organization FIFA, decided to provide monetary assistance for the development of football sport in the state.

It is well-known that people in the northeast region of the country have always been drawn to sports, especially football. And, their passion perhaps, drew Federation International of Football Association (FIFA), the biggest name in the world of football, towards India, particularly towards Sikkim.

Known for its pristine natural reserve, Sikkim is also known as the home of Bhaichung Bhutia, all time India’s best footballer and captain of current Indian football team. Youngsters in the region view FIFA support, as a milestone, to encourage the sport here.

Arjun Rai, Coach of the United Sikkim Football Club, said: “The money that FIFA has given for our State, would be highly beneficial for promotion of football here. That money would be used in ground maintenance, making new grounds and football houses. So we will be benefited.”

Leezang Lepcha, Football player, Sikkim, said: “Football is in our blood. It is highly popular in northeast. There are other sports also but in Sikkim, in Gangtok and in northeast we give more preference to football. That’’s why we are playing football since our childhood.”

Under its Goal Project II, FIFA would be providing a monetary assistance of rupees one crore to develop the football infrastructure in the State. Even the state government and All India Football Federation would be contributing two million rupees each to fasten the process of development.

Sikkim is the only state after Karnataka to be selected by FIFA for its Goal Project, which is believed to boost moral of youngsters of the region to further hone their skill and talent.
Source: Asian News International (ANI)

Football in Northeast

No dearth of talent in NE: Aloke, Atanu

Guwahati, Dec 8: Two former India internationals Aloke Mukharjee and Atanu Bhattacharjee have expressed the view that there were good talents in the North-east but that the players of the region should motivate themselves.

Both the former stars, who are employee of FCI, were in the city to attend a coaching camp organized by the FCI for its football players of the North-east. The camp which concluded at the SAI complex on Saturday was attended by 27 footballers.

Both Atanu Bhattacharjee and Aloke Mukharjee had no doubt that the North-east was full of football talent.

Aloke, who was once the assistant coach of the Indian team at the time of Stephen Constantine, said: “The main advantage of the players of this region is their physical fitness”.

Atanu, who was India goalkeeper for a long time and then national team goalkeeper coach, expressed the same view while advising the players of this region to get ideas about motivating themselves.

Replying to a query he said: “I have seen many footballers form this region in different big clubs of the country and during the initial stage they performed exceptionally well. But what happens I don’t know that after two to three years their performance level start dropping and it could probably be that they fail to bear the pressure that comes about in different ways.”

It may be mentioned here that Asom lad Bilifung Narzary, currently representing the ONGC team, played for Mohun Bagan in one season a few years back and during those days it was Atanu who was the goalkeeper coach of the team.

Thus the former goalkeeper of the Asia All Star XI had the opportunity of having a close look at Bilifung. Commenting on a query on Bilifung, Bhattacharjee said: “He is a very good goalkeeper and I am optimist that in the coming days his performance level would be much high if, of course, he sincerely continues with his efforts”.

Source: The Sentinel

Hats off to NE sportspersons: the journey ahead

Like a ‘Lotus’ that blossoms above the muddy water, sportspersons from Northeast India have brought laurels for the country despite their troubled native places.

From legendary footballer Dr Talimeren Ao, Olympian weightlifter Kunjarani Devi (whose saluting of the tricolour during the medal ceremony in the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games evoked the supreme emotion of playing for the country), Dingko Singh (who became toast of the country after winning boxing gold in 1998 Bangkok Asian Games) to women world boxing champions Mary C Kom and Jenny Lalremliani, Baichung Bhutia -- football’s Sachin Tendulkar -- and archer Chekroverlu Swuro, the seven sisters (eight with Sikkim) have been the breeding ground for top sportspersons in India.

In football, Dr. Ao was the first captain of independent India's Olympic men’s football team. Now, five Manipuris are in the current national squad and Baichung Bhutia, a Sikkimese, is the captain and perhaps the most famous in history.

In hockey, Manipuris have been in the men’s and women’s national squads. Olympians Neelkamal Singh, Tiken Singh and Thoiba Singh have been household names in their days. Tingongleima Chanu, Suraj Lata Devi, Sanggai Chanu carried the legacy.

Archery has a big presence of northeasterners, from Assam’s world champion Jayant Talukdar, Sikkim’s Olympian Tarundeep Rai and Nagamese Chekroverlo Swuro to the latest Bombayla Devi of Manipur.

In weightlifting, go to any national championship. Half of women’s participants would be from the northeast, especially from Manipur, and they would turn out for other states -- Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu etc.

Manipuris also dominate the national scene in some other sports like sepaktakraw, fencing, baseball, wushu, canoeing and kayaking, judo etc.

Because of the natural talent the Northeasterners have for sports, I thought it high time that a blog dedicated to sports and sportspersons from this region should come up. That was my raison d’etre of authoring this blog. Hope the blogosphere has a place for these worthy sportspersons who are truly ‘Lotus in the Mud.’

Here, you will find important news/views on sporting events happening in Northeast India, on the performance of sportspersons from the region in events held anywhere inside and outside India, and the profiles of these sportspersons.

Image courtesy: rediff.com; tribuneindia.com