Guwahati, Sept. 28: Lack of sponsorship for sport has forced Gauhati Town Club to abandon its plan of going ahead with the seventh edition of the GTC Challenge Trophy football tournament this year.
Though it was an eventful year for the club, with its football team ensuring a promotion to the RG Baruah Guwahati Sports Association Super Division League and the cricket team clinching the Bhupen Chandra Mahanta Guwahati Sports Association A division cricket title, the club has failed to organise the seventh edition of the GTC Challenge Trophy football tournament.
“Public sector companies and corporate houses are not interested in sports. If it would have been a fashion show, they would have eagerly offered us sponsorship. Bharti Airtel has backed out this time, State Bank of India was willing to offer us an amount while UB Group is least bothered about sports. It’s not an easy task to organise a tournament of this stature and that too without sponsors, which is the reason why we couldn’t hold it this year. We will surely come up with the tournament next year,” said GTC secretary Devajit Saikia.
On the club’s plans for the football team, which recently qualified for the top tier of the Guwahati Sports Association’s league system by clinching the Jibeswar Goswami GSA A Division Football League, Saikia said: “We are not willing to go big with the football team unless the All-India Football Federation introduces some stringent laws for registration of players.”
“We have had quite a bad experience initially because we couldn’t hold on to the players. Our academy has shown some great prospects and even today, 60 young players from Guwahati and adjoining areas practice regularly. Two of our academy players, Basanta Boro and Subal Rabha, are currently at Liverpool Football Academy in Pune while Nihal Das and Pranjit Das are in Shillong Lajong FC,” said Saikia.
The secretary also sounded optimistic on tying up with Brasil Futebol Academia in the near future.
Saikia also revealed plans to come up with a 10-metre range for a rifle shooting academy and badminton academy.
“We already have five academies, which include football, chess, cricket, swimming and taekwondo. We will soon come up with a 10-metre range for a rifle shooting academy and a badminton academy,” said Saikia.
