There was a loud buzz in the air as thousands of fans swarmed the streets of Shillong in excitement, ahead of the Durand Cup 2024 semifinal between Shillong Lajong FC and NorthEast United FC at a sold-out Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on August 26.
Fans of Shillong Lajong gathered in hordes in different parts of the ‘rock capital of India’, filling out fan parks, dressed in striking red kits and setting up a festive mood.
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This has been the case throughout the tournament. Having played all its matches at home, Shillong Lajong has been egged on by its fans at each game, holding its weight against FC Goa in the group stages, and beating Kolkata giant East Bengal FC in the quarterfinal.
Despite the semifinal ending in a 0-3 defeat for the host side, the fan support points to a brighter future, both for the team and the sport.
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“With this tournament, things have changed. Young boys and girls have realised that even in their villages, small or big, whether they are in the city or a remote area, they have potential,” Meghalaya’s Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said during a select media interaction.
Prestone Tynsong, the Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya, greets players of Shillong Lajong before their Durand Cup semifinal. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Meghalaya has been a traditional hub of Indian football over the past decade, with the presence of clubs like Shillong Lajong, Rangdajied United, and Langsning.
Shillong Lajong currently plays in the I-League, the second tier of the Indian football league system, after finishing as the runner-up in the 2022-23 I-League 2 season and gaining promotion after a gap of four years.
Earlier, Shillong Lajong secured promotion to the I-League after being crowned champion of I-League 2 in the 2009-10 season. Its regional rival Rangdajied United played in the I-League after winning the I-League 2 title in 2012-13.
Shillong Lajong also reached the final of the Federation Cup (now replaced by the Super Cup) during the 2009-10 season, eventually losing to East Bengal in penalties.
However, the larger scheme of things reveals a slightly different picture. Despite domestic success over the past decade, the state trails in terms of the number of players currently playing in the Indian Super League (top-tier), compared to its sister states Manipur and Mizoram.
Out of the 363 players across the 13 clubs set to play in the upcoming season of ISL, only six are from Meghalaya. For comparison, Manipur has 48 of its players in the league while Mizoram has 35.
Eugeneson Lyngdoh is perhaps the most notable player the Meghalaya has produced. He was part of the 2015 SAFF Championship-winning Indian squad and was named the AIFF Player of the Year in 2015.
Eugeneson Lyngdoh (14) in action for Bengaluru FC in the AFC Cup against Lao Toyota FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar/The Hindu
At the club level, he won the Federation Cup in 2015 and 2017 with Bengaluru FC and also represented ATK Football Club and East Bengal in the ISL before his retirement after the 2020-21 season.
Meghalaya’s Redeem Tlang and Aibanbha Dohling, who currently represent NorthEast United FC and Kerala Blasters respectively, have experience on the domestic level, both winning the Durand Cup with FC Goa in 2021.
However, neither of them has broken into the national team while players from Manipur and Mizoram such as Lallianzuala Chhangte and Jeakson Singh have played longer in the ISL and have secured their spot in the Indian squad, winning honours like the SAFF Championship and the Intercontinental Cup.
Meghalaya’s Commissioner and Secretary for Sports Dr Vijay Kumar D believes a change is possible but only in a suitable environment.
“We are trying to create an overall ecosystem. We are building a large number of artificial turfs in every block in every subdivision, smaller stadiums are also coming up in places. Infrastructure-wise I think we are already 50 per cent done, and the other 50 per cent will happen over the next one or two years,” he tells Sportstar.
“Training and coaching is the second most important thing,” he said, adding that these factors, combined with support from the state government could contribute majorly, in the next three years or so, to make Meghalaya the football capital of India.
Beyond the beautiful game
The Deputy CM added that while football, in light of the recent Durand Cup matches, is a major point of focus, the state would not limit itself only to that sport.
“Of course, football is very important, but if you talk about athletics, we have seen several young men and women who can perform well, nationally and internationally. So we want to tap that as well,” he said.
In the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympics, Meghalaya did not have a single representative in the 117-member contingent, while Manipur had hockey player Nilakanta Sharma and weightlifter Mirabhai Chanu, Sikkim had Tarundeep Rai in archery and Assam had boxer Lovlina Borgohain.
Mirabai from Manipur was the only Indian weightlifter participant in Paris Olympics, 2024 in 49 Kg weight category. | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar/The Hindu
In an attempt to produce an Olympian from Meghalaya, Tynsong revealed that the state government was looking to set up sporting facilities in the New Shillong City project announced by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma earlier this year.
“A few years ago we (re)started the Meghalaya Games because we intend to reach out to the block level. At this point, we are making sure that each district can easily host the Games and this has led to the construction of proper infrastructure like the JN stadium in Shillong and P A Sangma Sports Complex in Tura,” Tynsong added.
In 2022, Meghalaya hosted the North East Games (formerly known as the North East Olympic Games) on short notice after it was shifted from Arunachal Pradesh due to the covid pandemic.
Competitions were held across 18 events with nearly 1000 medals being awarded. Meghalaya finished fourth with 36 gold, 35 silver and 78 bronze, behind Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
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Additionally, In June 2023, the state announced the Super Elite Pathway Program where 11 individuals were selected from around 15,000 across the state, to be trained under specialized coaches, including Olympians like former triple jumper Ian Campbell.
The athletes were selected in two phases through a year-long process under the supervision of the Australian-based management group Edge 10, led by Campbell.
Campbell will oversee the selected athletes’ performance over three years with the Meghalaya State Olympic Association taking care of their schooling, stay/food, and training.
The state is also waiting in line behind Chattisgarh and Uttarakhand to host the National Games.
“We are in the queue basically, so our turn will hopefully come soon,” Dr Vijay said.
“We are ready with the kind of infrastructure not just here(Shillong), but everywhere. We already hosted the Northeast Games, and we are hosting the Meghalaya Games annually. So now there is the capacity to organise events and we will be ready whenever our turn comes,” he concluded.
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