I have a lot of expectations from new government: Debashish

'Players and officials should stand behind Modi to take Indian football to next level'

By our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 31: Former intertiol soccer player Debashish Roy, who earned a distinction to have played in all the three big clubs of Kolkata-East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting, in a conversation with The Sentinel has expressed a lot of expectations from the new government. Here is the excerpt.

You have possibly heard that Prime Minister rendra Modi is very much interested to develop soccer in the country. Your comment.

It’s nice to see that our Prime Minister has shown a lot of interest to develop soccer in our country. As a soccer player I welcome his vision. I feel, now the organizers and players of this game should stand behind him and provide him necessary support so that our football can march forward at the intertiol level.

What is your expectation from the new government of the State?

I know our Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal persolly. He is a very sports enthusiastic person. Although as a Chief Minister he has to notice the all round development but I feel sports in Assam will get new direction during his tenure. I have great expectations from our newly appointed sports Minister ba Kumar Doley too. He himself was a sports person and I feel nothing could be better then it when a sports person becomes a Sports Minister. I had a big expectation from the previous sports Minister Ajit Singh too but he virtually did nothing in development of the game in the State. Hope this time it will be a different story.

Any suggestion you would like to provide to the Sports Ministry?

Obviously development of sports in grass root level should get priority. At the same time attention should be given to develop new sports infrastructures in different parts of the state. I shall also like to put one request to the ministry and it is if there is any scope they should take steps to revive Bordoloi trophy- our prestigious soccer tourment.

Sports in Guwahati are badly suffering because of lack of ground. Your comment.

It’s very true. After the Nehru stadium has gone out of reach of common people the sports in the city has been suffering very badly. We even failed to organize Bordoloi trophy in the last season. I think it will be same story in the coming soccer season too unless the problem is sorted out very quickly. If Nehru stadium is not available then we should hire few grounds outskirts the city so that different soccer tourments can go as per the schedule.

Aizawl FC recently finished as the runners up in Federation Cup. Earlier Shillong Lajong too made similar performance. Why clubs from Assam fail to match their performance with those clubs?

Look, if talent is concern we are not behind from any other states of the North East. But still there is huge difference and for this I have to blame a section of the sports organizer. They are not doing their job sincerely and some time it even looks like that they are here to fulfill their own interest. The time has come to change those officials if we really want to develop the game in the state.

India will host U-17 World Cup next year. What Indian soccer fans can expect from this competition?

It will be funny if I say that we will win the World cup utilizing the home condition. But this competition will definitely inject some new ideas and facilities to the Indian football. We should bank on it and try our best to take forward the game.