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Wills Youth Club win Dehradun football league

In the land of Indian soccer legends like Ram Bahadur, Shyam Thapa and Amar Bahadur, a football club owned by…

Wills Youth Club win Dehradun football league

PHOTO: SNS

In the land of Indian soccer legends like Ram Bahadur, Shyam Thapa and Amar Bahadur, a football club owned by a cable operator has won the prestigious district football league. The Wills Youth Club surprised all by winning the final of the Dehradun football league recently. 

The sports fans have every reason to express shock as the Wills Youth Club is not a financially strong club. The club is owned by passionate football fan Tejendra Prasad, fondly called ‘Gorey Dai,’ who is a professional cable operator. Tejendra  operates the club in small resources. 

The Dehradun football league offers stiff competition- with 17 teams fighting for supremacy in the ‘A division’ and another 24 clubs battling it out in the lower ‘B division.’ Wills Youth Club defeated Doon Star 4-2 in the tie-breaker to create history and lift the title for the fist time earlier this month.

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Dehradun is famous for producing footballers- as the city has given Indian football about a dozen international footballers. The list includes Bir Bahadur, Ram Bahadur, Amar Bahadur, Shyam Thapa, Ranjit Thapa, Bhupendra Rawat, Ratan Thapa, CB Thapa, Jatin Bisht and Manish Maithani. 

Club owner Tejendra Prasad says, “I spend my own money in the club. We started the club seven year back and happy that we are district champion this year.”

Functioning from the Kedarpuram locality in Dehradun, the Wills Youth Club practices in half the size of a football ground. Even the small ground has turned to their advantage. 

As veteran footballer, Nar Bahadur Gurung says, “Wills Youth Club practices in a small ground and this has helped the players master the skill of small passes. The excellent co-ordination of the players, who are mostly in the age of 18-20,  helped the club win the title.”

The budget of the 41 football clubs (both A & B division) operating in Dehradun is not big. But, still it is not that small- as a club owner has to invest for balls, kit and payment to some players and for keeping the sporting activity going all round the year. making a minimum investment of abour Rs 30,000. 

District football association’s secretary Devendra Bisht says, “The achievement is praiseworthy as Wills Youth Club has won the title with limited resources. The club is not financially strong and despite this has made rapid stride in district football.”

Many old football clubs are struggling to keep things going. In a low period of football, Wills Youth Club shows the way. Attaining success by adopting simple process- regular and discipline practice. Plus delivering in limited resources. 

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