Implementing government schemes, ensuring service delivery, and monitoring projects are not the only responsibilities of the Village Council Development Committees (VCDCs) across Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). They are also sports talent hunters and facilitators of events to hone athletic skills.
Comprising five districts bordering Bhutan, the BTR is governed by the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
About a year ago, the BTC government launched an experiment to rebrand the BTR as one of India’s most energetic grassroots sports incubators. It roped in the VCDCs to spot potential athletes and create a conducive atmosphere for them to play, beginning with the most popular sport – football.
Months of preparation, backed by fiscal and basic infrastructural help from the BTR government, culminated in the first multi-tiered Bodoland Chief Executive Member Cup festival in June. The unique format entailed matches between village teams in each of the BTR’s five districts – Baksa, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Tamulpur, and Udalguri.
“The top teams at the VCDC level tournaments graduated to the level of the BTC constituencies. The winners at this level played at the district-level contest and finally for the council-level cup. The contest ensured inclusive participation and accessibility from the grassroots to the council level,” Swmdwn Muchahary, the Council Head of Department (Sports), told The Hindu.
