Narayanpur, once a part of Naxalite-hotbed Bastar, looks to spark revolution through Indian football

Narayanpur, a quaint little town in southern Chhattisgarh, is not best known for its affinity towards sports. Formerly a part of the Bastar district, infamous for Naxalite activities, the place is now experiencing a revolution around football.

While the Abujhmarh Peace Marathon 2019 was one of the earliest attempts to foster peace in this area, the Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) Ashrama here is now at the forefront of the change, hosting the Swami Vivekananda U20 Men’s National Football Championship from April 12 to May 22.

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“We have always wanted to host a tournament in Swami Ji’s (Vivekananda) name. We initially thought we would start small, but we received a positive response from the AIFF (All India Football Federation) President Shri Kalyan Chaubey, and finally, we would hold a national championship in Swami ji’s name,” said Swami Vyapptananda, Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narayanpur.

While national-level football tournaments in Narayanpur have only started in 2024, the sport itself has been popular among the locals.
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AIFF Media

The RKM inaugurated an artificial turf within its campus in December 2023 and has the Junior Boys’ National Football Championship for the B.C. Roy Trophy lined up.

While national-level football tournaments in Narayanpur have only started in 2024, the sport itself has been popular among the locals.

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Chhattisgarh Football Association Assistant General Secretary Mohan Lal believes that this would help the state association bring more kids in the area into the realm of professional football.

“The facilities that the RKM Ashrama has built in Narayanpur are commendable indeed. When we send our teams to other states to play, only those 22 kids get to watch how other teams play,” Lal said.

“Now, all the kids in the district can come and watch such teams as we are hosting the events. They watch, they learn, and they grow. In the end, football in Chhattisgarh gets to grow.”