New Delhi
A significant historical date in Indian football’s journey is being recommended to be recognized as ‘India’s National Football Day’. Kanishka Pandey, the head of the Sports Research Centre at IMT Ghaziabad, has put forth July 29 for this distinction. On July 29, 1911, an event of immense significance unfolded in Indian history. The Swadeshi Movement was waning, revolutionary activities were on the rise, and the nation sought a catalyst for change. Unexpectedly, the spark came not from a political event but from the realm of sports, specifically football. Mohun Bagan, an iconic football club established in 1889 in Kolkata by prominent Bengali families, achieved a remarkable feat within just 22 years of its formation. On that historic day, July 29, 1911, Mohun Bagan secured an unprecedented victory by becoming the first Indian club to lift the IFA Shield, triumphing over the East Yorkshire Regiment with a score of 2-1. The Sports Research Centre team of the Institute of Management Technology Ghaziabad, in collaboration with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), submitted a recommendation to honor this pivotal moment in Indian sports history. The partnership between AIFF and IMT Ghaziabad aims to enhance Indian football through research and innovation, with this recommendation being their first step towards achieving this goal. Kanishka Pandey, spearheading this initiative, highlighted the significance of Mohun Bagan’s victory as more than just a triumph on the football field. He noted that this victory represented a larger victory for the nation over its colonizers and masters, becoming a symbol of national pride. Pandey emphasized that such triumphs, even in the realm of sports, acted as confidence boosters for the Indian population during the struggle for independence.
