Kolkata, September 14 (Daily Kiran) : Mithun Chakraborty, a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has reignited his long-standing initiative to establish the Bengal Football Academy. This project, which has been in the works for nearly 15 years, was discussed in detail on Monday during a meeting in New Town with former football players.
Chakraborty aims to attract talented players from every district, with a particular focus on the hilly regions. He plans to kick off the academy with an initial group of 60 footballers. During the meeting, the veteran actor also outlined the financial strategy for the academy.
In an interview, Chakraborty expressed frustration over the delays, stating, “For the past 15 years, nothing has progressed because of my involvement. As soon as my name was mentioned, everything was banned. No grounds, no fields were provided… nothing was allowed. This is why the project has been stalled for so long. However, we have managed to save one crore rupees, which is still in the bank. To run this academy and give it strength, I will raise an additional two to three crores through donations to ensure the Bengal Football Academy operates effectively.”
He elaborated, “We will send scouts to districts to identify talented players. We will select 60 players, with a special emphasis on tribal athletes. I am particularly interested in those who excel in areas like Darjeeling and Kalimpong. We have identified four to five grounds, and we will work with whatever we can secure through tenders.”
Raju Bandyopadhyay, the state vice president of the BJP, assured that the selection process would be completely transparent. “All international players associated with Bengal are involved in this initiative. We have devised a plan where these international players will scout at the district level to find the best talent. Those selected will be brought to Kolkata for the final selection. The process will be transparent, ensuring that only the best players participate. Whether it’s football, education, or industrialization, we aim to bring about change. Dada (Mithun Chakraborty) envisions making Bengal a ‘Sonar Bangla’ again, and we are all committed to realizing his dream.”
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