Latey Bhakundo

For any sports fan, it's always a welcome sight to see all the different sports and games flourishing. This is one of the factors which contribute to the growth of a nation. A country is fit when it's people are fit, especially the youth. So we all want our country to progress even more in sports. North East is such a region where sports have always been popular and states like Manipur and Mizoram lead the way. North East youth love to play any sport if they have the facilities in their vicinity. Mostly Boxing, Tae Kwon Do, Badminton, Archery, other forms of martial arts, Basketball, Athletics, and some traditional sports are popular amongst the 8 sister states. Football however has caught the fancy and imagination of the people, from Sikkim to Nagaland and Arunachal to Tripura, football is played and watched in every nook and corner of this mostly hilly region. Manipur and Mizoram have over the years produced many talented players who have gone on to play for top clubs across ...

Anil Gurung needs no introduction in Nepal. A quality player who served the National team with distinction for more than a decade. Born into a humble family Anil’s story of grit and determination is an inspiration to any young footballer. A few years back he announced his retirement from the national team and was given a fitting farewell by the All Nepal Football Association. It might not be wrong to say he is one of the Legends of Nepali Football along with players like Late Mani Shah, Hari Khadka, Ganesh Thapa, and Raju Sakya to name a few. I am sure he will continue to play at the club level for some more years before he hangs up his boots.  I had seen Anil Gurung for the very first time in 2007 during the All India Governor’s Gold Cup in Gangtok. He was with New Road Team during that time and in one of the matches just as I was entering the stadium, A long pass was played to him from the left flank, he had run towards the edge of the penalty box, controlled the ball with his ri...

Football is one of the most popular games in the world and it’s played in every corner of this globe. Even in India, the beautiful game is making steady progress and the masses are getting attracted to it. Overs the years besides the players millions of other people have contributed towards football’s development around the world. Their sacrifice is often overlooked but they are always there working for the game. Referees are one, such breed of people who fall into that category. They do one of the most difficult but thankless jobs in football and the work they put in is often overlooked. In India too barring a few Referees, the plight of most of them is sad, to say the least. They are often criticized and ridiculed for their match supervision, sometimes they even have to face ugly situations like getting severely assaulted. They are also underpaid and the training they undergo is not up to the mark. Very less is done for them but we always expect more from the Referees and other match...