Kaziranga hosts football tournament promoting youth and wildlife conservation
A CORRESPONDENT,
BISWANATH CHARIALI: Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), in collaboration with Bola Bola Sports for All Wildlife Forever, successfully concluded a dynamic football tournament on February 11 and 12, 2026, at the Golia Football Ground in the Biswanath Wildlife Division. The event engaged local youth from Kaziranga’s fringe communities in structured football activities while promoting environmental awareness.
Bola Bola Sports for All Wildlife Forever is a sports-driven initiative that uses football to foster community engagement, youth development, and wildlife conservation. Their work emphasizes coaching clinics, referee training, and tournaments in protected areas, following similar efforts in Zambia’s Kafue National Park in 2024. By uniting local communities around sports, the initiative promotes biodiversity protection and sustainable livelihoods.
The tournament received support from the Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Biswanath Sports Association, Biswanath Football Association, and the Golia Village Development Committee. International coaches Steffan Perkins from England and Alberto Marco Lozano from Spain initiated training on February 7 at the Agoratoli Football Ground in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division. Training sessions continued in Biswanath Wildlife Division from February 10 to 16, preparing teams for friendly matches across the EAWL until February 22.
The competition featured eight men’s teams, four women’s teams, and two under-17 teams, drawing enthusiastic participation from boys and girls across Biswanath. The champions were celebrated for their teamwork and sportsmanship. Biswanath Town Club won the men’s category, while Uddipta Chowra, Bedeti secured the women’s title. The under-17 category was won by JNV Sonitpur. Runners-up included Golia FC for men, Sakhomata Tea Estate for women, and Golia Junior FC for the under-17 category. Senior players and leading coaches were felicitated during the event.