A new football academy

COOCH BEHAR, June 6: In an aim to improve the quality of football and also to train young and budding footballers an institution named Thakur Panchanan Sports Academy (TPSA) came up in Cooch Behar. This academy already started training programme for young footballers of 14-years to 19-years age group.

The motto of Thakur Panchanan Sports Academy is ‘play to learn and learn to play’. Fifty-three young footballers got enrolled in the first phase in this academy and they are practising regularly on four days in a week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. During their four-hour practise on the morning they are learning the skills and scientific techniques of modern football.

The learners at this academy come from different rural areas of Cooch Behar. Mysteriously, there is no one from urban areas. These young footballers have to come riding bicycles from far away places like Bokalir Math, Natabari, Sutkabari, Pundibari, Natabari, Khagrabari, Takagachh and Ambari. Pure love for football attracts them to come in. The venue of the training is the lush green ground of JD Hospital at Mahishbathan near Cooch Behar town.

The trainers of TPSA are veteran footballers that were well known in their good old days in north Bengal and Assam. Mr Pradip Roy Sarkar is the guiding force of this football institute’s trainers and learners. He is popularly known as Bholada. Centring Bholada the new sports academy came up in Cooch Behar. Once Mr Utpal Majumder, Mr Pranab Majumder, Md Ramzan Ali, Mr Dinesh Singha, Mr Jaladhar Das and others had learnt the techniques of football from Bholada and now they joined him to bring up the young and promising footballers.

The TPSA started its journey about three months ago. It already received recognition from District Sports Association (DSA), Cooch Behar. State forest minister Mr Ananta Roy and Cooch Behar (North) MLA Mr Dipak Sarkar too extended financial assistance to the new academy. The authorities of JD Hospital are co-operating by allowing their ground for training and practice. They are also helping with drinking water, medical assistance and medicines. The acting superintendent of JD Hospital, Dr Subinay Chakraborty said the young generation should not keep them busy with mobile phones or motorbikes only. They should participate in sports activities like football. It will keep them fit – physically and mentally. “We are co-operating them because we know playing can keep one healthy and it is essential for a healthy society too”, he said.

The persons in TPSA believe that they may bring back the lost glorious golden days of football and cricket as it was in the regimes of Maharajas of Cooch Behar. []