Football at Lumding

Sports and games used to be very popular at Lumding. Super division football league of Calcutta was being followed by many of Lumding residents. Aaajkal, Ananda Bazar, Dainik Basumati used to come one day late and still we used to read through entire sports page to catch the detail of the Calcutta Football league. During the Mohanbagan and East-Bengal match Lumding also used to get divided into two camps of euphoric supporters and throng around the All India Radio, Calcutta B to catch the live commentary. Those were the days of glory and achievement for the players of Lumding who boasts of providing players for Assam Santosh Trophy team. The level of Football at Lumding was very good and the existence of some very good clubs speaks for that. Mitali Sangha and Student’s Club were the prime football club. Many youths got jobs with the N.F. Railway by playing football and they are still in job.
I don’t want to comment on the present condition of sports at Lumding as I am out of Lumding from 2001. But I have seen the decline of love for football during the late eighties when after the 1987 Cricket World Cup the Cricket euphoria started hijacking the nation.
I remember one match between Students’s Club and the Play Boys club played during the summer of 1987 or 1988 (I forgot the exact year). The entire field was full with spectator. Lot of drama happened in the match ---- Playboy’s goal-keeper was injured and was hospitalized. This was the last time I saw the full-house at Lumding Stadium for local football match.