Sports is nothing without fans. This is often a clichd statement we hear when it comes to major events across the globe. In India, this line holds a lot of value as the success of teams, even leagues, is dependent on the supporters.

Take the IPL for example. It was a league that would have never reached its current level without the fans receiving it well. So when you come to a city like Rajgir, a place blanketed by beautiful hills and known for the presence of Nalanda University, there was always the risk of a tournament like the Asia Cup falling a bit flat. However, the response to the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy and the crowd turnout for the ongoing Men’s Asia Cup has shown it was the right call.

Despite the heat and humidity over the last few days, fans have come in large numbers to support the teams. Earlier in August, the Emirates U20 Rugby Championships, which took place in the city, drew a good amount of fans, and the Asia Cup continues to do the same. But the supporters in Rajgir want more — and the hockey Asia Cup is just a starter for them.

Craze for sports will increase

We had the chance to speak to some of the fans, with the first one being Shekhar, a banker. Before the interaction started, he told us that he had work on the day but decided to skip it to come and watch the matches.

“I got the right chance to turn up for the matches so I decided to come in,” said Shekhar.

For Shekhar, it felt very good seeing such major tournaments happening in Rajgir, and he expects more international stars to come once the ambitious cricket stadium in the city opens up. The stadium is expected to hold 45,000 spectators and will be the most modern stadium in eastern India.

“Feeling very good seeing these events. Earlier we had matches happening here, but I didn’t get the chance to come. This time I got the chance, so I decided to come in. And right ahead, the cricket stadium is being built, so I will definitely come again to watch cricket one day,” said Shekhar.

Shejuti and Emon are natives of Bangladesh and have been studying in Nalanda University for more than a year now. For them, seeing the Bangladesh team, who were a replacement side for Pakistan, was a chance they didn’t want to miss out on.

“It is really great. The last tournament was women’s hockey. We didn’t attend that tournament because we weren’t aware of it. This time, Bangladesh came and we are very happy to enjoy this match. Bangladesh should win this one,” said Emon.

And that is exactly what Bangladesh did, with an 8-3 win over Chinese Taipei on Saturday, August 30, to keep their Super 4 hopes alive. But for Shejuti and Emon, the bigger picture is seeing more teams in other sports come in — and possibly even the Bangladesh cricket team make a visit once the cricket stadium opens.

“The Bihar government is taking initiative for more sporting events to come in. So in my opinion, maybe in the future within two or three years we will see bigger events,” said Shejuti.

Bringing the international stars to Bihar

Mohammed Shahbaz, an ardent fan of sports, was happy to see international stars turn up in Rajgir. Shahbaz said that these were events he could have only witnessed in metro cities, and now he was getting the same excitement and thrill in his hometown.

“I am very happy because these are events that I used to see going outside Rajgir, and probably in metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai. The same thing now I am getting in Rajgir,” said Shahbaz.

Shahbaz went on to credit the Bihar government for their work in raising up Rajgir as a major sports destination.

“I give a lot of credit to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar sir, because without him, you also know it would not be possible. To raise Rajgir up like this, his contribution is very big,” said Shahbaz.

While the Asia Cup continues to roll on, fans remain excited and turn up in large numbers for matches. They have got a taste of what international events are like, and they seem hungry for more. The fans expect Rajgir to be the next big sporting destination in India with more international events coming in.

“Rajgir will emerge as a sports hub. As an education hub, it was already well known and still is, with Nalanda University being here. So we definitely hope it will grow further,” said Shekhar.

With big plans and a new cricket stadium on the horizon, that could well be the case in a few years’ time.

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