1st I-League game at Mahilpur
The day has finally come when Mahilpur — the ‘Mecca of Football’ in Punjab — will host its first ever I-League match at the newly-built stadium. The hosts Delhi FC will take on Shillong Lajong at 2pm. Delhi FC, backed by Mohali’s Minerva Football Club, are scheduled to play 12 home matches here.
Mahilpur is the home town of former Indian footballers such as Inder Singh, Jarnail Singh Dhillon, Tajinder Kumar, Gurdev Singh, Parminder Singh, GS Parmar and Tajinder Kumar. The city, till recently, was hosting the Principal Harbhajan Singh Memorial Football Tournament.
Ever since 2011 when JCT decided to shut their football club, the sport has seen a steep decline in Punjab. The shutdown of the region’s only club shattered the hopes of budding footballers, especially from the Doaba region. The lack of opportunities led many players to move abroad or play for small clubs to earn money after completing their college education. Some shift to other states to find opportunities in football, but many return disappointed.
Celebrations
While the players will be sweating hard amid the shining sun in the chilling winter, the residents of Mahilpur are planning to celebrate the comeback of football by distributing jalebis. Believing it to be an event which may put Mahilpur back on the Indian football map, the residents are overjoyed.
There was a time when there was a footballer in every household in Mahilpur. “It’s surely a moment of revival for the city. There was a time when famous footballers of the country used to come from adjoining areas of Mahilpur. I think these matches will redevelop people’s interest in the sport,” said Manjinder, a former footballer and local resident.
Last month, Ranjit Bajaj, owner of Delhi FC and CEO of Minerva FC, had confirmed to have no dearth of spectators in Mahilpur.
‘Ali Hassan’ stadium
Locals have demanded that the stadium be named after coach Ali Hassan, who passed away at the age of 69 in November 2021. Hassan, who was a mentor to many international players from Punjab, was famous among the Indian football fraternity and had the honour of reshaping football in Mahilpur and the surrounding areas. While the locals have already started calling the stadium as Ali Hassan Football Stadium, Mahilpur, the official confirmation by the state government is yet to be issued.
