Football match to spread message of healthy life

As worldwide celebrations have started over the FIFA World Cup this year in Qatar, the doctors and medical staff associated with a private district hospital and its affiliate healthcare centre in Hooghly district of West Bengal have organised a unique football match to spread the message 'Play football, stay healthy.'

The unique football match was held at a sports ground at Uttarpara in Hooghly district of West Bengal on Sunday afternoon. One team comprised the doctors associated with Ma Sarada Hospital Private Limited and its affiliated Ma Sarada P4 Healthcare located at Konnagar in the same district, while the other team included the medical and non-medical staff of these two entities.

In the match, the team of doctors was defeated by the opponent team by a margin of three to zero. According to the director of Ma Sarada Hospital Private Limited, Dr Sovan Chattopadhyay, this is the fourth year that such a football match is being organised and this year the organisers decided to hold it on the same day the FIFA World Cup started in Qatar.

"Health is above all and participation in sports is essential to be in good health. So, this match, participated by those directly and indirectly with the medical profession, is organised to spread this message to the public," he said.

He pointed out that the doctors and staff took time out of their busy schedule and participated in the match. "The results of the match are not relevant. Our motto was to spread the message - Play football and stay healthy," he added.

Former Indian team footballer, Subrata Bhattacharya, was all praise about this initiative. "Swami Vivekananda once said that you will be nearer to heaven playing football than studying Bhagavad Gita. Being a football player myself, I believe that playing football or rather any game you can keep yourself both physically and mentally healthy. So, I whole-heartedly congratulate the organisers of this match," Bhattacharya said.