Sangrang Brahma, a librarian by profession, is handling the grassroots development of football in Assam, one of the most neglected regions in the footballing strong-zone of North-East India.
Since becoming the honorary secretary of the Assam Football Association, Sangrang Brahma has attempted to revamp the structure of Assam football, transforming it to keep up with the times. Assam has already shown some improvement after his appointment, especially in the prestigious Santosh Trophy inter-state tournament.
Assam has topped their group in the ongoing edition of Santosh Trophy, and even more remarkably so, they have done so without conceding a goal in any of their five group matches. Assam has, thus, qualified for the advanced and more competitive round-robin stage, which will begin on February 21st in the North-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Speaking to The Bridge, Brahma expressed optimism about the team’s performance in the Santosh Trophy and their readiness for the final round. He mentioned the inclusion of ISL player Pragyan Gogoi and expressed the team’s aim to reach the knockout stage.
The much-anticipated 77th Santosh Trophy National Football Championship-2024 is kicking off from tomorrow.⚽️
Six formidable teams (Meghalaya-Services; Assam-Kerala; Goa-Arunachal) will clash in the inaugural matches at the Golden Jubilee Outdoor Stadium, Yupia, Itanagar.
I wish… pic.twitter.com/vJ2hq81Uhr
— Pema Khandu པདྨ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་། (@PemaKhanduBJP) February 20, 2024
BRAHMA HAS STARTED PREMIER MEN’S AND WOMEN’S FOOTBALL LEAGUES FOR ASSAMESE CLUBS
Upon assuming the role of secretary, Brahma was dismayed by the bleak state of football in Assam. The absence of any representation from the state in major Indian football leagues like the I-League and I-League 2 weighed heavily on him, especially when juxtaposed with the long-time participation of neighbouring states, such as Shillong Lajong from Meghalaya.
So, he started a new statewide league for Assam, the Assam State Premier League, soon after assuming his position. Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC won the inaugural edition and would participate in I-League 3.
Congratulating Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC on their victory for becoming the champion of Assam State Premier league 2023-24 🏆#Assam #AssamFootball #AssamStatePremierLeague #IndianFootball #allindiafootball pic.twitter.com/2yN8yk7E73
— All India Football (@AllIndiaFtbl) January 8, 2024
“I have decided to give the big platform to our local talent and push one of our own club in I-League, but I also learnt that if you want to play in the national league, you need your own state league, where the champions got nominated first for the I-League 3 and then the upper divisions,” Brahma said about the new league.
Brahma believes that the Indian Women have better chances of appearing in a FIFA World Cup event than their male counterparts, and has also started a women’s league in Assam. Karbi Anglong Sports Association Girls FC has clinched the trophy in the inaugural edition.
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