Guwahati based businessman, Manjit Bhagawati, was elected the Vice President of the Guwahati Sports Association (GSA), after polling the highest number of votes in the elections - 62. The election results were announced at the annual general meeting of the apex district organisation on May 6.
Born and brought up in Guwahati, Manjit completed his schooling from Kamrup Academy and went on to pursue Bachelors degree in Botanical Science from Cotton College (now Cotton University). He then went on to do his Masters in Botany from Gauhati University, but did not complete the course and left it mid-way.
Son of senior sportsperson, Trailokya Bhagawati, Manjit was introduced to the world of sports at a very young age. As a kid, he used to spend a lot of time on the field, mostly seeing his father play. As a result, he developed interest and started playing various sports, including cricket, football and arm wrestling. Trailokya Bhagawati was the Secretary of Gauhati Town Club; he was also an active member of the Guwahati Sports Association.
While his wife, Kavita Bhagawati is a housewife, his daughter Sushmita Bhagawati is a bronze medallist at national level rowing and son, Swapnil Bhagawati, is a footballer. Apart from being a businessman, Manjit is also a nature lover. He loves travelling and does wildlife photography.
Speaking about his position as a VP with the Guwahati Sports Association, Manjit told G Plus, “I became a member of the Guwahati Sports Association way back in 2006. I felt that there are certain issues that need to be raised at the earliest in order to improve the situation of sports in the region. So I decided to contest elections this year.”
As the vice president, he aims to improve the state of football in Guwahati. He wishes to get a dedicated football field for the players of the city to practice. He further aims to develop and promote the sports academies in the outskirts of the city, in places like Bundapara, Boko and Chaygaon so that they can produce brilliant sportspersons.
“Assam is brimming with talent. But sports and sportspersons from the state are not given the due coverage by media. I wish that the popularity of our sports events increases and they’re covered well by the local media, especially TV channels,” says Manjit.
Manjit is also a member of the Gauhati Town Club and the General Secretary of Nabajyoti Club. Under his leadership, Nabajyoti Club has been champions in the Guwahati Super Division League. The club has produced many ace players, including Riyan Parag, member of the Under-19 Indian cricket team.
There’s a prevailing mindset that parents in India do not support their children when it comes to sports. Rather, they force them to concentrate on their studies. Manjit informed G Plus that while this used to be the mentality of Indian parents, there has been a drastic change in the scenario recently. Now, parents encourage their children to take up sports. He further added that a lot of children in Guwahati are balancing their studies with sports very well.
Manjit’s advice to young athletes and sportspersons of the region is, “Learn to manage your time. While I encourage everyone to take up sports, I also emphasise that gaining proper education is equally important. You must not waste your time watching television and using mobile phones.”
According to him, the most difficult challenge that our youths face when pursuing sports is that they do not get the necessary exposure and most private schools do not encourage sportspersons. He says that some of the private schools care about studies solely and do not allow leaves to their students to participate in sporting events.
Speaking to G Plus about the infrastructure of sports in Guwahati, Manjit said, “While the infrastructure for indoor sports is pretty good, the situation is not the same for outdoor sports. There’s a lack of space to practice, we do not have state of the art facilities and there’s an urgent need for physiotherapists to help cure sports injuries.”
He further added that although there have been so many technological advancements in the field of sports, Guwahati is lagging way behind. The scenario of sports can be improved with the utilisation of modern technology and the government has a huge role to play in it. With the Assam government giving emphasis to sports and Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma heading the Badminton Association of India, he’s hopeful of seeing the situation change for good.
