| Actor’s presence as AIFF ambassador confirmed | ||
| A STAFF REPORTER | ||
Guwahati, Sept. 13: For soccer lovers of Assam, the eautiful game” could not have been more glamorous. Bollywood hunk Salman Khan will be in the city when it hosts the final of the elite Federation Cup — one of most prestigious football tournaments of the country — in December. Salman’s scheduled presence was confirmed by Assam Football Association secretary Ankur Dutta who told The Telegraph today: “The filmstar has become the All India Football Federation’s brand ambassador. And he will definitely be present during the Federation Cup final which happens to be one of the most elite events of the AIFF.” The actor’s presence will be a big boost to the game which, despite its popularity in this part of the country, fails to attract crowds to the tournaments; even one of the stature of Bordoloi Trophy is played virtually to empty stands. Altogether 16 teams, including I-League teams like East Bengal, Churchill Brothers, Mohun Bagan, Dempo, Vasco SC and Mahindra United will take the field during the tournament which is going to be hosted by Assam after a gap of over 30 years. Incidentally, Salman’s presence had ensured a capacity crowd at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi last week during the final of the Nehru Cup. The AFA expects the same in the Federation Cup final, tentatively slated for December 30 or 31. The fixture is yet to be finalised. “Be it Fed Cup or any club football tournament, I’ll make it a point to be among the crowd in the final as Salman Khan will be there. I’ll try for an autograph. I’ve seen all his films but never seen him off-screen,” said 13-year-old Ankita Bora of Jorhat, who is a die-hard fan of the star, but not really interested in football. “It is not only Salman Khan who is going to be the crowd-puller. The participating teams are themselves stars in their own rights with almost all the giant footballers of the country, including the mercurial Bhaichung Bhutia, in their ranks. The star’s presence will be the icing on the cake,” Dutta said. “This is an opportunity for us to watch all the football icons of the nation on the same turf. I’ll not miss a single match of the tournament,” Ranjan Basumatary, a young footballer of the city, said. “We were first awarded the Santosh Trophy tournament in the executive council meeting in New Delhi recently. However, we insisted on the Fed Cup because it has glamour. All the teams are elite outfits of the nation,” the AFA secretary, who is also an AIFF vice-president and the chairman of the Federation Cup committee, added. |
