PTI
GUWAHATI
NorthEast United FC owner John Abraham says the opening ceremony of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2016 will inspire the youth from the region and give recognition to the people here.
"I cannot even begin to tell you how big it is for us. It is fantastic. Finally, we can give the Northeast an occasion to be proud off and to feel good about being the centre of attraction for the Indian Super League. We are a football hub and it was important for the people of the region to feel recognised. We are privileged and honoured," the Bollywood actor said.
For the first time, the ISL opening ceremony will be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium and nobody is more excited than John, who thanked Nita Ambani, chairperson of Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL), for giving the franchise an opportunity to host the opening ceremony.
"I want to especially thank Mrs Nita Ambani for awarding Guwahati the honours of hosting this mega event. We have been working towards this for quite some time now and I am ecstatic that we will finally be hosting the opening ceremony at one of the homes of Indian football," he said.
In the past, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Goa have hosted either the opening ceremony or the final.
"When young kids will watch this mega event, they will hopefully be inspired by the magnitude of it all and tell themselves 'I want to perform on a stage like this one day'. Such events always give a fillip to the community and aspire athletes. I can assure you that the entire region will be gearing up for the opening ceremony," said John.
Interestingly, NorthEast United have always had Kerala Blasters as their opening game opponent in the last two seasons of ISL. While NorthEast United won by a solitary goal when the ISL was launched in 2014, the Blasters got their revenge the next year with a 3-1 victory. This time around, the hosts are looking for reasons to celebrate not just the opening ceremony but three points as well.
“I have told the boys to go out and enjoy themselves. Such occasions are rare and are not an everyday occurrence for athletes. I want the team to do themselves and the fans to feel proud. The result does not matter, the efforts do. I am sure the fans will be out in full voice. Kerala Blasters will be great opposition and hopefully the football on the pitch shall give us reasons to celebrate,” said John.
