Babul Phukan (top) and Gilbertson Sangma

Nagaon, July 10: The Sixties and Seventies are often considered the golden era of Assam football, when not only the playgrounds across the state, but every stadium across the country was dominated by some of the finest players who took to the field.

For soccer aficionados, history will repeat itself on July 12 and 13 when some of the best footballers of the state, all retired now, will come together at the Nurul Amin Stadium here for the first-of-its-kind get-together of the state’s footballers.

Right from the once-mercurial striker Gilbertson Sangma to the workhorse linkman Ramesh Phukan, all will be present at the two-day meet, which will also feature a couple of exhibition matches.

The first match will be between veterans Oil India Limited and Assam Police, the teams whose rivalry is now part of the state’s football folklore.

“The main attraction of the meet will be the interaction between the players as they will relive their memories in the form of story-telling. A cultural programme in which the players will perform will be yet another attraction of the meet,” said Jiten Bora, the general secretary of Nagaon District Football Players Association, which has organised the meet. “We have personally contacted most of the players for the two-day programme,” he added.

Those who have already confirmed their participation in the meet include Ramesh Phukon, Partha Gogoi and Atul Bora of OIL, Dashan Gohain, Gilbertson Sangma and Malang Ao of Assam Police, Tosen Bora of Maharana Club, Guwahati, and Babul Phukan, a former international, among others.

The first match will be played between the veteran players of OIL and Assam Police on July 12, while the second match will be played among other veteran stars just before the concluding ceremony on July 13.

Gilbertson Sangma said he was very keen to attend the meet and show off his skill once again. “I cannot forget my days as a footballer when I played as a striker for Assam Police. I am 56-years-old now, but I can still show a trick or two in the field,” the confident veteran said.

“The news of the veteran footballers get-together has delighted me beyond imagination and made me emotional too. I hope I will take part in the match if I keep well at that time,” said the 60-year-old Tosen Bora, who was a linkman in Maharana Club from 1967 to 1973.

He retired from Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd, Namrup two years back.