Little ones practise at Abasar Sammelani’s football coaching camp. Picture by Gopal Senapati

Abasar Sammelani is known in central and south Howrah for its Kali Puja. At one time, when there were few Kali Pujas happening in the locality, residents of Ramrajatala, Kadamtala, Ichhapur and neighbouring areas would congregate at Abasar Sammelani’s Kali Puja. However, apart from Kali Puja and Durga Puja, which the club has recently started on a large scale, Abasar Sammelani is also known for its football camp held for boys in the locality.

The club ground on Ichhapur Road is filled with little ones playing ball in the afternoons. Mothers and guardians wait patiently under a nearby tree watching their wards train under the guidance of the coach and senior members of the club.

Abasar Sammelani was established in the pre-Independence years to promote games and sports among the youth. At that time, foot tennis was a popular sport in this part of Howrah. The game was played with a tennis ball and many people here were star players at that time. Football came much later when young boys in the locality started taking interest in the game. Initially, it was played casually by the local boys but later, it became a regular sport at the club.

The football camp started at Abasar Sammelani since 1989. The club members train boys from five to 14 years. “We can train boys of this age group. After that, we have to send them to other camps or clubs in Howrah,” said Kamal Koley, the secretary of Abasar Sammelani. At present, there are 70 students playing at the club. Although most of them come from well-off families, there are some from impoverished families. Their parents are either vendors or domestic helps or drivers and cannot always afford the fees of the club.

“Most of the boys who come to play here have a passion for football. Earlier, when we started the camp, we would have to go from door-to-door and ask parents to send their sons to the camp. We would have to assure them that we would give them food and jerseys and shoes. Now, things have changed. Boys come of their own. There are a few players who need support from the club. They are provided with boots and jerseys by the club,” said Koley.

Attempting to train the boys in a scientific manner, a health check-up camp was organised by the club. “We conducted a health check-up camp with the help of Nishana Foundation run by an orthopaedic, Nishit Ranjan Chowdhury. Height, weight and body mass of the boys were measured to determine if they were underweight or overweight. A dietician prescribed a diet chart for each one of them and we were given a practice chart for every student. Those who conducted the test have said that they will come back to see the progress of the students. They also recommended playing positions for each of the boys depending on their body proportions and strength,” said Santanu Hazra, a coach at the club.

The huge ground on Ichhapur Road, that belongs to HIT, is maintained by the club members themselves. Every year after Durga and Kali Puja, the ground is repaired and brought back to its original condition so that the boys can resume their practice.