In a first, Hoshiarpur’s Mahilpur to host I-League matches

Mahilpur, also known as the ‘Mecca of Football’ in Punjab, will host I-League matches on the lush green grass of the newly built stadium. According to locals, the site where the stadium has been built was a dumping ground and a haven for drug addicts.

Next month, the city, which boasts of producing world-class footballers for the nation, will host the I- League matches for the first time. The I-League outfit Delhi FC, backed by Minerva Football Club (Mohali), will play 12 home matches here, starting against Shillong Lajong FC on December 19 (2pm). The matches will be played at the new stadium, built on the land adjoining the Mahilpur school. The stadium, which was handed over to the Punjab Government in 2008, will finally witness its first ever event here.

The city is the home town of former Indian footballers such as Inder Singh, Jarnail Singh Dhillon, Tajinder Kumar, Gurdev Singh, Parminder Singh, GS Parmar, Tajinder Kumar and many more, including the current lot of Indian footballers.

“It was a dream of mine to take a major event of football to Mahilpur, the city which has produced so many footballers for the country. The I-League matches will be a boon for the region’s young players,” said Ranjit Bajaj, owner, Delhi FC and CEO, Minerva FC.

Earlier, Minerva FC conducted the I-League matches at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Panchkula, and Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana.

However, conducting the matches at Mahilpur will be an altogether different experience given the craze of football in the city and nearby villages. During the Principal Harbhajan Singh Memorial Football Tournament, which is the showpiece event for the residents of Mahilpur, the spectators hardly find any empty space. “There will definitely be no dearth of spectators here like in Panchkula or Ludhiana. Everyone knows the craze for football among the people of Mahilpur...the crowd will be 10 times of Ludhiana and Panchkula,” added Bajaj.

On Monday, the Punjab Sports Department announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Minerva Football Academy’s Delhi FC to allow the club to utilise the newly constructed sports stadium in Mahilpur. However, it was not easy for the club to have their say on the ground.

“We have revamped the entire stadium, including installation of new pitch, revamped dressing rooms as per the league standards, painting the entire stadium and others at no cost to the Punjab Government. We have spent nearly Rs 40 lakh. A lot of effort has been put to bring football’s glory back to the most deserving place,” added Bajaj.

The I-League is making its debut and will be the biggest event for the city, especially after the disbandment of JCT Football Club. Not only the footballers, but the residents are also excited for this upcoming event. “See, this is great news for the localities in terms of watching professional footballers in action and remembering the old days when world class players used to play here. This will also increase the business here and young Punjab players will have a chance to interact with these players,” said Bhola, a local resident.