By Kamalika Sengupta,News18,Oindrila Mukherjee

Copyright news18

Call it football fever, but with a dose of politics and it will be the coming together of two of West Bengal’s passions. The Trinamool Congress government is once again caught in a fresh tussle with the opposition BJP over two sports tournaments dedicated to Swami Vivekananda.
So, it may as well be “Khela Hobe”, literally translated as “the game is on”, once again ahead of the assembly elections next year, as the BJP launches the ‘Narendra Cup’ from Howrah and the state government counters it with the ‘Swami Vivekananda Cup’ from Belur on Thursday (September 11). The phrase became a rallying slogan for the TMC during the 2021 assembly elections, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee making it her personal battle cry in her poll campaign.
The Narendra Cup will be inaugurated by state BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya. The tournament, initiated by the Nationalist 1300 Club, will have 1,300 teams competing from across the state until September 17. Out of these, 43 winning teams will each receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000. Although officially not a BJP event, several party leaders are actively involved in it.
So, what is the significance of the dates?
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said September 11 marks the anniversary of the historic speech delivered by Swami Vivekananda – “our revered young monk and the greatest propagator of Sanatan Hindu Dharma” – at Chicago in 1893.
“On that day, he presented the essence and universality of Sanatan Dharma before representatives of all religions,” Adhikari said.
He said BJP karyakartas will be organising the ‘Narendra Cup Not Out’ football tournament, which will conclude on Modi’s birthday on September 17.
“The tournament will see the participation of promising and talented football players from Darjeeling to Digha, and from Cooch Behar to Kakdwip – primarily young people who are the leaders of tomorrow. In this competition, one team from each area will emerge as the winner. The champion team will receive a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 50,000 while the runner-up will also be awarded a trophy and Rs 25,000 cash. In addition, the two teams securing third place will be honoured with a cash prize of Rs 15,000 each,” he added.
The opposition leader said the programme has been organised through the joint initiative of BJP MLAs, MPs, panchayat members, and councillors in the state.
“September 11 is a significant day, as it marks the anniversary of Swamiji’s historic speech in Chicago. The nationalist clubs of Bengal have come together to organise this tournament, where 1,300 clubs will participate. The cup is dedicated to our great Swamiji, and also honours our yashaswi Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji,” BJP MP Jyotirmoy Sikdar told News18.
On September 8(Monday), senior BJP leaders, including Sikdar and Adhikari, addressed a press conference without party banners to promote the event. A special jersey and theme song for the tournament were also launched.
The Bengal government, meanwhile, inspired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will inaugurate the Swami Vivekananda Cup from Belur. The event will be formally launched by sports minister Arup Biswas. Government sources said the objective of the tournament is to spread Vivekananda’s ideals across districts and inspire youth.
Political observers noted that football, deeply ingrained in Bengal’s cultural fabric, has become the new battleground ahead of the assembly elections. While the saffron camp is banking on the Narendra Cup to connect with grassroots communities, the state government is using the Swami Vivekananda Cup to counter the BJP’s outreach. They, however, agreed that both sides are aware of Bengal’s strong emotional connection with football and, with rival tournaments kicking off on the same day, it is clear that this time khela hobe will play out on a new field.