Prarthana Hazarika
Shillong, Aug 29: For L. Darlong, Meghalaya football is a story of a glorious past, a changing present and a promising future.
A veteran player, coach and administrator, Darlong was part of a generation that witnessed the state’s footballing rise. He fondly remembers 1978—the “golden year”—when St Anthony’s Higher Secondary School, Shillong, won the prestigious Subroto Cup after defeating Madhyagram School, Bengal, in the final.
The team had legendary India coach P.K. Banerjee guiding them during a 21-day preparation camp.
Darlong himself went on to make his mark as a midfielder, representing Blue Max Sports Club, Shillong XI and Meghalaya. He later moved into coaching and administration, working with clubs including Malki SC and Langsning FC and contributing to football development at the university and state level.
Now, looking at the present scenario, Darlong remains optimistic.
“Meghalaya football is going in the right direction,” he believes, pointing to the growing number of individual football academies working at the grassroots.
He also highlights the role of the Meghalaya Football Association’s age-group tournaments in identifying talented youngsters and creating a pathway for them.
For Darlong, the key is to ensure that identification leads to development.
Meghalaya has already shown its potential at the national level, with the senior team reaching the Santosh Trophy final in 2022-23. The next challenge, he feels, is to build a stronger and more consistent pipeline from grassroots football to the senior team.
After decades in the game, Darlong sees today’s academies and age-group competitions as an opportunity to create another golden generation.
The past gave Meghalaya its football identity. The challenge now is to give its next generation the platform to carry it forward.
