Shillong is home to many a budding footballer and for some of these young men and women to fulfill their potential, grounds are an essential process of their development.
As our cities have been rapidly subjected to industrialisation in the recent past, one thing that administrators, town planners and local bodies have tended to overlook is the creation of free public spaces for children and even adults to come and play, if not for the sake of the game or its spirit, then at least for fitness.
Meghalaya’s capital, only 64 square kilometre long, has no such problem and is packed with fields of all shapes and sizes. Some of these grounds are an absolute delight to visit and are set in jaw-dropping locations which make even the dustiest of dustbowls a pleasant place for a kickaround.
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
The 27,000-seater Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium located in the Polo Grounds area was inaugurated in 1972 after erstwhile Shillong Sports Association president SDD Nichols-Roy mooted the proposal of “coming up with a stadium for Shillong where games can be played under proper conditions” in June 1970.
All clubs from the city to have participated in the I-League have used this stadium for their home matches. The Shillong Premier League, the highest division of the local football league is also played here.
The ground was renovated in 2011 and an astroturf was laid out. Shillong Lajong play their I-League matches here currently. The stadium is also home to Meghalaya’s Department of Sports and the Meghalaya Cricket Association.
Shillong Sports Association Stadium
Although the first stand at the SSA Stadium was completed in 1975, the stadium was completed in January 2016. The wooden galleries opposite the newly constructed sitting galleries have existed since the 1980s, and was the place where spectators used to stand till a few years ago.
The stadium can hold upto 4,500 people (wooden gallery seating included) and played host to the Santosh Trophy regional round this year. The prestigious Meghalaya Invitational Tournament is also held here as are the matches from the other three divisions of the Shillong Premier League.
Matches from the Under-18 and the U-16 I-League are also held in this natural-grass ground also located in the Polo Grounds area.
Ground No. 1
The training ground for most of Shillong’s largest clubs, Ground No. 1 is sporadically used for hosting U-18, U-16 and U-15 matches when the SSA stadium is unavailable, much like this year when the latter was being used for the Santosh Trophy.
Much of the ground located at Polo Grounds, also covered with astroturf, is cordoned off from the public and spectators have to peer in through the fence to get a good look at the action.
Madan Heh
Located in the Mawlai area of Shillong, this is one of the most picturesque grounds not only in the city but in the entire country. Literally meaning “Big Ground” in the Khasi language, this is the ground that young footballers in the city and nearby areas get their first taste of grassroots training.
Mawlai is the first region of the city that one would come across while reaching Shillong from Guwahati and the backdrop is majestic, as is the rest of the surrounding area. The ground, inaugurated in 2010, used to host youth league matches before the renovation of the SSA Stadium.
On days when training is imparted, parents can be seen sitting in the stands, waiting for their wards in this 2,500-seater stadium which is also home to the Mawlai Sports Club.
Motinagar Football Ground
Not a turfground, but this public ground is really popular among kids of the locality, also known as Motinagar. Surrounded by a forest, the view around the ground is drop-dead gorgeous and makes for amazing games as the ball can get lost in the woods at times.
Located in the upper reaches of Shillong, one may have to walk a little under a kilometre to reach this ground from the main roads, but once there, the scenery is its own reward.
Shillong Public School Ground
One of the most successful schools in Shillong when it comes to the game and you can see why. Possibly the only educational institution in the city to boast of a turf, this school is located in Laitumkrah, about two kilometres from the city centre. Access is mostly restricted to students of the school, however.
Jiengking Stadium
Another very popular dustbowl among the children of the city, Jiengking means bridge in Khasi, in reference to one located in the same locality as the ground, Nongthymmai.
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