No doubt Northeast always had enormous sports potential and has given birth to great sports talent. But it wasn’t until the last couple of years that the best ones among them not just brought back pride to the region, but also won international accolades and made India proud. Northeast has seen a gradual, yet rapid change. The magnanimity of publicity, marketing, promising sportspeople have caught everyone’s attention.
Let’s see how and why we should call Guwahati/Northeast the next ‘sports hub of India’
– They are all from Northeast: Dipa Karmakar, Mary Kom, Shiva Thapa, Baichung Bhutia, Somdev Devvarman, Chekrovolu Swuro, N Soniya Chanu, Khotajit Singh Khadangbam, Sushila Chanu, Anuradha Devi
– The 2nd T20I, between India and Australia was played at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati on 10 October 2017
– Did you know that the AIBA’s Women World Youth Boxing Championship is scheduled to take place in Guwahati’s Sarusajai Stadium from 19 November 2017?
– The 12th South Asian Games in February 2016, was held in Guwahati and Shillong.
– The Under-17 Fifa World Cup matches were held in Guwahati!
– 1st Elite National Boxing Championship for the men’s category was held in Guwahati in December 2016!
– Ashmita Chaliha represented India at the World Junior Badminton Championship at Indonesia (9–22 October)
– Riyan Parag from Guwahati was chosen to be a part of the 15-member team at the Under-19 India Cricket team by BCCI which was played at England, 2016. Riyan’s 22 ball fifty stands at No.2 after Virat Kohli’s.
– Nishant Bordoloi from Guwahati is now the T20 strengthening and conditioning trainer
Enough said!
Cover image courtesy: Jersey Football Magazine
Rhea Hussain
This 22-year-old political science graduate is a self-proclaimed fitness freak with a love for collecting books and smelling them incessantly. A few things that she digs are crunching on ice cubes, binging on momos and travelling. She has an unconditional affection for dogs. Although she says that she does not have a philosophy in life, but she believes that "happiness is subjective, so never compare".
