Kolkata, January 18, 2024: Usha International, India’s leading consumer durables company in India, organized the “Usha Nabarun Football Tournament 2024” in collaboration with Nabarun Football Club, in which 16 teams competed for the Trophy. The final played yesterday between the National Youth Club and Rania Sahajatri Sangha at the Usha football field in Bansdroni, was fiercely competitive going into a tie-breaker with 3 goals each, and finally decided on a coin toss as the light was too poor to extend play. An audience comprising over 15000 football fans did full justice to the spirit of the game, cheering them on for their superb play. Sri Basudeb Mandi of Rania Sahajatri Sangha won the Player of the Tournament award, and the highest Scorer of the Tournament award went to Sri Bismark of VIP Dhaba Club.
Mrs. Shanti Mallick, the first women Footballer to win the Arjuna Award, was the chief guest and handed over the trophy to Rania Sahajatri Sangha – the winning team, in the presence of Mr Rajesh Tara, President HR, Usha International, and other guests of honours including Mr Gopal Roy, Councilor – Ward Number 111, and Mr Sandip Nandi, ex legendary Footballer.
Commenting on the tournament, Mr. Rajesh Tara, Senior Vice President – Human Resources, Usha International Limited, said, “Our association with the Nabarun Football Tournament underscores our commitment to encouraging young people in Kolkata, and everywhere else too, to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Sports is a great binding factor within communities and teaches participants many valuable lessons that help them in life as well. Seeing the skill and passion of the players in action and of course, the supportive audience was heartening and suggests we are on the right path. We firmly believe in supporting inclusive platforms that help young athletes develop their skills.”
Usha’s dedication to revitalizing local traditional sports is evident through its nationwide initiatives, aimed at promoting active and healthy lifestyles, as well as community engagement. The company’s sports outreach encompasses strategic partnerships and extensive support for various inclusive sporting platforms and events. These initiatives involve collaborations with entities like the Mumbai Indians franchise, Ultimate Flying Disc, Golf, and cricket for differently-abled individuals, and sports tailored for the visually impaired, such as athletics, kabaddi, judo, and powerlifting. Additionally, Usha actively backs indigenous Indian regional sports like Kalari, Chhinj, Siat Khnam, Thang-Ta, Saz-Loung, Satoliya (known as Pithu), Mallakhamb, Adimurai, and Gatka.
