Durand Cup: Rajnath Singh stresses on maintaining rules in sports and society

Guwahati (Uttam Hindu News): Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday while inaugurating the 132nd edition of Durand Cup in Assam’s Kokrajhar stressed on the importance of maintaining rules and regulations within the society, comparing it to the game of football.

In his remarks on the occasion, he said, “Rules and regulations are very important in football. All you need to know about the offside rule in football. If a player scores a goal even after going offside, it is not considered a goal. That is, as soon as you go against the rules, then even if any of your efforts are successful, then there is no meaning in it. “Whether it is sport, society or country, rules are very important and it is the responsibility of all of us to maintain them,” he said. “A true sportsman and a true citizen is one who does his duty according to all the rules of the game and society.”

Rajnath Singh said that football is a game that unites people and it is a game of peace. Recalling the example of Brazilian football legend Pele, he said, “In the 1970s, a civil war broke out in Nigeria. Thousands of people had lost their lives in that war and the atmosphere was extremely tense. There was no appeal from the police or the leaders. succeeded in de-escalating the situation, but when Pele arrived there to play a friendly match, it is said that there was no incident in the whole country for 48 hours.

Addressing an enthusiastic crowd at the Sai Stadium, he lauded the efforts of the Armed Forces and the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) for creating a positive atmosphere in Kokrajhar, which resulted in the event being organized for the first time in the city. He lauded the people of the North East for their enthusiasm and love for football and described the ‘beautiful game’ as not just a game but an emotion.

Stating that Assam has produced several footballing talents in recent times, Rajnath Singh expressed confidence that the Durand Cup would encourage the youth to take up the sport with renewed vigour.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also talked about the rich sporting culture of the region and wished all the participating teams all the best. He thanked the Indian Army for organizing the tournament in Kokrajhar and appreciated the efforts of BTC for the assistance.

The opening ceremony was attended by approximately 12,000 football fans from across the state and region. The main attractions of the ceremony included flypast by Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft and Mi-17 helicopters, martial displays, Gatka and Bhangra and Bodo cultural dance performances by local troupes.

The opening ceremony was followed by the opening match of the tournament between Bodoland FC and Rajasthan United FC. Eight group matches and a quarter-final will be played in Kokrajhar on August 24. A total of 24 teams, including two foreign teams from Nepal and Bangladesh, all three teams of the Indian Armed Forces and the local team of Bodoland FC, will compete at three venues in Kolkata, Guwahati and Kokrajhar during the tournament.