Assam is a land full of sports loving people. Both traditional and contemporary games are played by the people of Assam. As Assam is blessed with nature all around so the mighty Brahmaputra, Subansiri, the hills and mountains in Assam act as source of sports of Assam. For adventure sports, Assam offers sport lovers with river rafting, boat racing, angling, para sailing and mountaineering options. The state government also encourages in the development of different sports of Assam. Let us know in details about sports in Assam.
Assamese people are very enthusiastic about traditional games and sports. The traditional games of Assam have been famous since the time of the
Ahom rule in Assam. Ancient buildings like Rang Ghar at Sibsagar in
Assam were built specifically for witnessing sports by the royalty. The traditional games of Assam like Dor (Running), Tarual Khel (Fencing), Kaar khel (Archery), Rosi Tona (Rope Pulling), Hatur (Swiming), Nau Khel (Boat Racing), Hoi Kobadi (Kabaddi), etc are always played by the youth.
Sports Associations in Assam
The government of Assam gives all the emphasis on sports in the state. There are specific sports associations and departments to look after different sports in the state. They are:
Sport & Youth Welfare Department of Assam
The Department of Sport & Youth Welfare created in 1988-89 works with the objective of bringing about all round development in the field of Sport & Youth Welfare. The department implements different schemes for the development of Sport & Youth Welfare in the State. Regular tournaments in the State Level are organised by it. The Department also gives emphasis on scouting of talents and gives financial assistance annually to the NCC Authorities for conducting various programmes.
For more information on the department,
click here
Assam Olympic Association
The Assam Olympic Association is the primary authority for organization and control of Games and Sports in Assam. The Assam Olympic Association has been organizing the State Games and is proud enough to have conducted the 33rd National Games very successfully in Guwahati. Assam Olympic Association have 38 State Level and 25 District Sports Association as affiliated unites who control respective games and Sports in the state and district level.
Contact:Assam Olympic Association
Deshabhakta Tarun Ram Phukan Indoor Hall
Nehru Stadium, R.G.Baruah Sports Complex
Guwahat-781007, Assam
Phone: 0361 246 0839
Guwahati Sports AssociationAddress: Nehru Stadium, R.G. Baruah Sports Complex, Ulubari, Guwahati, Assam- 781007
Phone: 094350 42734
Assam Badminton AssociationContact: R.G. Barua Sports Complex, Ulubari, Gandhi Basti, Sarania Hills, Guwahati, Assam
Phone: 094350 44738
JKA Shotokan Karatedo IndiaContact: GNRC Road, Dispur, Guwahati, Assam
Phone: 094351 90697
Football in Assam
Assam is a very enthusiastic state when it comes to football. People of Assam are much football freaks. Details of football in Assam are:
Assam Football AssociationThe Assam Football Association (AFA) is one of the 36 Indian State Football Associations affiliated to the All India Football Federation with its headquarters at Nehru Stadium, Guwahati. AFA's premier competition is the Bordoloi Trophy and top division football league is the Assam State Premier League, which is the other important competition.
Assam State Premier LeagueAssam State Premier League (ASPL) is the top division football league in Assam organised by Assam Football Association. ASPL started in 2008 with Assam Rifles winning the first season.
Football Clubs in Assam
NorthEast United Football Club
NorthEast United Football Club is an Indian Super League football franchise in Guwahati, Assam. Founded on 15 August 2014, the club is playing in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League. Owned and operated by Bollywood actor John Abraham and I-League club, Shillong Lajong, the club represents the 8 states of India - Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram.
Gauhati Town ClubGauhati Town Club is a football club based in Guwahati, Assam. Established in 1906, the club participates in the I-League 2nd Division in which they have been participating for two seasons.
Green Valley Football ClubGreen Valley Football Club is a football club from Guwahati, Assam, formed in 2010. The club went straight into professional football and got accepted into the I-League 2nd Division, the second tier of football in India.
Other than these football clubs in Assam are Assam Police Blues football club, ASEB football club, Assam Rifles football club, Oil India football club, Morning Star Club football club, PHERC football club, SAI football club etc.
Cricket in Assam
Like football people are also very crazy about cricket in Assam. The state has a freaky and enthusiastic cricket lovers. Details of
cricket in Assam are:
Assam Cricket Team
The Assam cricket team is a Ranji Trophy team based in Assam. Run by the Assam Cricket Association, the players of the team are Anup Ghatak, Syed Zakaria Zuffri, Rajesh Bora, Gautam Dutta, Arlen Konwar, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Zaved Zaman and Subhrajit Saikia.
Assam Cricket Association
The Assam Cricket Association is the governing body of the Cricket activities in Assam. It is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The current office of the ACA is in the Nehru Stadium, Guwahati.
Contact: Assam Cricket Association
R.G. Baruah Sports Complex, Bhubaneswar Barua Road, Nehru Stadium, Ulubari, Sarania Hills, Guwahati, Assam 781007
Sports Personalities of Assam
Assam has produced some of the best sportsmen in the country. The
names of Dipankar Bhattacharjee (Badminton Player), Monalisa Baruah
Mehta (Table Tennis Player), Jayanta Talukdar (Archery) and Shiva Thapa
(Boxer) shine in the sports arena of Assam and the nation as well. Important sportspersons from Assam are:
Dipankar Bhattacharjee
Dipankar
Bhattacharjee is a star Badminton player from Assam. The sportsperson
has participated in many International tournaments representing India,
including Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics. He has been Indian National
Badminton Champion three times and twice runner-up.
Jayanta Talukdar
Jayanta
Talukdar is a star Indian archer. He was part of the Indian team that
won the silver medal at the 2004 Junior World Championships. An Arjuna
Awardee, Talukdar followed up with a gold medal at the FITA Meteksan
World Cup in 2006, becoming the first Indian archer to win gold at the
event.
Shiva Thapa
Shiva Thapa is an Indian boxer from
Assam. Shiva Thapa participated in the 2012 London Olympics and was the
youngest Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympics. He is the third
Indian to clinch Gold at the Asian Games.
Monalisa Baruah
Monalisa
Baruah Mehta is a renowned table tennis player of Assam. An important
Assamese sports personality, Baruah received an Arjuna Award in 1987.
Holicharan Narzary
Holicharan Narzary is an Indian footballer who plays as a forward for FC Goa in the Indian Super League.
Stadiums in Assam
Indira Gandhi Stadium and Nehru Stadium are the important stadiums in Assam. The other stadiums located in Assam
are:
Indira Gandhi StadiumSarusajai, Assam
Nehru Stadium Guwahati, Assam
Jorhat StadiumJorhat, Assam
Mangaldai StadiumMangaldai, Assam
Nurul Amin StadiumNagoan, Assam
Satindra Mohan Dev StadiumSilchar, Assam
Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi AC Indoor hallSarusajai, Assam
Dr Zakir Hussain Aquatic ComplexSarusajai, Assam
Maulana MD Tayabullah Hockey StadiumBhetapara, Assam
Shooting RangeKahilipara, Assam
Deshabhakta Tarun Ram Phukan Indoor stadium, RGB Sports Complex
Sonapur Sports ComplexSonapur, Assam
Rupnath Brahma Velodrome & PavilionSonapur Assam
Rudra Singh Sports ComplexDispur, Assam
Rajiv Gandhi Sports ComplexAmingaon, Assam
Chachal Tennis ComplexChachal, Assam
SAI ComplexPaltan Bazar, Assam
Ganesh Mandir Indoor HallKahanapara, Assam
Adventure Sports of Assam
Assam is a wonderful state for adventure sports. The mountains, rivers
and the natural surroundings of Assam make it an adventurous place for
adventurous sports activities. Sports like river rafting, boat racing,
angling, mountaineering and para sailing are the adventure sports
activities one can be engaged in Assam.
River Rafting in Assam
Adventure lovers will find Assam the heaven for river rafting. The mighty Brahmaputra river is the ultimate destination of river rafting in Assam. River rafting is a wonderful activity on the Brahmaputra and the Subansiri River. Rafting on Brahmaputra offers tourists with the opportunity of exploring the Brahmaputra.
Angling or fishing is a wonderful sport in Assam. The Brahmaputra river and its tributaries offer one with the opportunity of angling and fishing. The Manas river, Jia Bhorali and Kapili are the natural habitat of fishes. Subansiri River also offers tourists with the opportunity of Angling. It is famous for the mahseer. On can have the best fishing of Mahseer in the Subansiri river.
Assam is blessed with nature all around. The state comprises of both hilly and plain areas. There are hillocks, mountains and valleys of innumerable numbers in Assam. The lofty mountains in Assam provide one with the opportunity of mountaineering and trekking. Tourists can also opt for mountaineering and trekking in the north of Cachar Hills and Karbi hills.