Guwahati: The 70th edition of the Bharat Ratna Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Trophy is set to commence from January 29.
Organized by the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Assam, along with the Guwahati Sports Association (GSA) and district associations across the state, the tournament will be held across 35 revenue districts of Assam.
The details of the event were outlined by GSA general secretary Devajit Saikia, GSA president Paresh Chandra Das, GSA sports secretary (football) L Pranab Singh, and Saurav Chatterjee, director of Best of You India.
Saikia called the tournament a ‘new beginning’ for football in Assam, highlighting its role in nurturing young talent and providing a platform for players to showcase their skills.
The tournament will be conducted in three stages.
In the district round, a total of 280 clubs from across the State will compete, with eight teams representing each district. This stage will feature 525 matches played in a league-cum-knockout format. The winners from each district will advance to the Cluster Round and receive prize money of Rs 75,000.
In the Cluster Round, the teams will be divided into six regional clusters: Upper Assam, Northern Assam, Central Assam, Lower Assam, Barak Valley and the Capital Region. The winners of the clusters will be awarded Rs 1 lakh, while the runners-up will receive Rs 75,000.
The final round of the tournament will witness two teams from the Guwahati Premier Football League -NF Railway Sports Association and Pride East Mavericks receiving direct entries. Additionally, two other teams, potentially from the Indian Super League (ISL), I-League, or international clubs, will join the competition.
The champions of the tournament will receive a prize of Rs 10 lakh, while the runners-up and semi-finalists will be awarded Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh, respectively.
Individual awards, such as Player of the Tournament, Golden Boot, Golden Gloves, and Fair Play Team, will also be presented.
In a bid to promote grassroots talent, each team is required to include at least five Under-19 players born on or after January 1, 2006. Among them, two U-19 players must feature in the starting XI, while three must be on the bench. Talent spotters will be present at all venues throughout the tournament to identify emerging players.
As part of a new initiative, GSA has signed an MoU with Best of You India. Under this collaboration, 17 young players will be selected for a two-week training program in Spain. Two players will receive an additional month of training, with one player earning the opportunity to join Marbella FC, a fourth-division club in Spain’s Andalusia region, renowned for its world-class facilities.
ALSO READ: All-rounder Riyan Parag to lead Assam in Ranji Trophy
The initial shortlist will feature 72 players from the tournament, which will be narrowed to 35 during trials in Guwahati. The final 17 will be selected under the guidance of foreign coaches.
The 70th Bordoloi Trophy aims to elevate the standard of football in Assam by setting a new benchmark, befitting the legacy of this prestigious tournament.
