Tura, Aug 23: For some, football is a childhood passion. For others, it is a way of staying active long after professional responsibilities have taken centre stage.
The ongoing Inter-Mahari Football Tournament in Tura is providing exactly that space, bringing together players who juggle demanding careers with their passion for the game.
Saturday’s match between Nokrek Mahari and Watre Mahari was one such example. While Nokrek Mahari secured a 1-0 victory, the contest also featured two players whose lives away from the pitch are very different, but whose approach to staying active is remarkably similar.
Watre Mahari’s Addingson W Momin, a 59-year-old SBI employee and veteran marathon runner, continues to play football alongside his professional commitments. He believes maintaining fitness is less about occasional bursts of exercise and more about making healthy choices part of everyday life.
Momin said he largely prefers boiled food, has reduced his rice intake and avoids oily food as much as possible. Despite his work schedule, he makes time for physical activity and sport.
His approach was influenced by an office colleague who continued running marathons even after turning 70. Momin said that example encouraged him to remain active and, in turn, become an inspiration for younger people around him.
He also urged young people to stay away from drugs and tobacco, saying healthier habits are essential for maintaining stamina and overall wellbeing.
“I will definitely keep playing. Even when I turn 60+, I will keep playing,” Momin said.
On the winning side was another professional who uses football as a way to remain active. Rupam R. Marak, Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Tura, represented Nokrek Mahari at the age of 42.
For Marak, finding time for football is also about maintaining a healthy balance alongside the demands of police service. He said Saturdays generally give him an opportunity to practise and stay connected with the sport.
Marak believes exercise alone, however, is not enough. He cautioned against the growing preference for fast food and oily food, particularly as lifestyle-related health problems become increasingly common.
“Less fast food, less oily food, eat healthy, stay strong,” he said.
The presence of players such as Momin and Marak adds another dimension to the Inter-Mahari tournament. The competition is not only giving clans an opportunity to compete against one another, but is also creating a space where professionals can step away from their daily routines, stay active and continue doing something they enjoy.
And perhaps that is one of the tournament’s quieter successes: football remains part of their lives not because they have more time for it, but because they continue to make time for it.
