Football, the most popular sport in the world, is truly something special. In Samdrup Jongkhar, the specialness of the game was felt by not only football lovers but also by others, especially the local businesses. A veteran’s tournament held recently brought life and excitement to the community and also helped boost the local economy.
A huge number of people gathered to witness the final of the tournament. The match attracted spectators not only from within the Thromde but also people from other towns and from across the border.
While the crowd watched on with oohs and aahs, on the other side, a number of businesses also shared the excitement thanks to the good number of customers.
“People normally don’t visit the town, but they come frequently when there are such types of tournaments. During these times, we set up stalls here. In a day we make roughly Nu 10,000. We can’t make that much from our shops in the town,” said Pemo, a stall owner.
“It is better to set up a stall here. After 6 pm, all the people come here, you won’t see any people in the town. So, it is better to close our shops and come here. These types of tournaments are really beneficial to us,” said Jigme Wangdi, another stall owner.
“Business is much better here. We can’t make as much as we are making here. No matter how much hard work we put in, we can earn maybe around Nu 4,000 to 5,000 a day in the town. But with the stall here, we earn about Nu 10,000 to 13,000 in a day,” said Dechen Lhaden, also a stall owner.
About ten businesses set up stalls at the local football tournament which ran for just over three weeks. The businesses paid Nu 10,000 each to the Samdrup Jongkhar Sports Association.
With the success of the recent tournament, there is optimism among the shopkeepers that more such events will be organized in the future, ensuring a steady flow of customers and increased economic opportunities for the entire community.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
