India great and Arjuna Awardee footballer Subrata Paul has joined Woxsen University as an Executive Fellow. He will assist in advancing consultancy in sports at the University in various areas as needed.
Reflecting on his journey and the opportunities provided by Woxsen University, Paul said, “I had heard about the sporting facilities at Woxsen University, and once I visited, I was pleasantly amazed at what has been built. Kudos to the management for having the vision and willingness to take on the social responsibility of providing the best for all students. As a kid, I mostly played on grounds devoid of grass and often littered with pebbles. Students here are lucky to have such infrastructure. This is the best university sporting facility I have ever seen. I’ve been fortunate to travel all over the world, but this one ranks at the top among most universities.”
On incorporating sports education into the curriculum of schools and higher educational institutions, Paul emphasized the importance of making sports compulsory. He stated, “We need to have compulsory periods for sports. Unless a student passes in sports, they shouldn’t be given a degree. Every day, for around 90 minutes, everyone needs to go out and play. They may not all turn into professional players, but sports make you a better individual. It’s high time every educational institution started giving extra credits for sports. This has been long overdue, and we keep speaking about it.“
Notably, Paul has played in Denmark for Vestsjaelland and for leading clubs in India, including Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Salgaocar, Pune FC, Hyderabad FC, Mumbai City FC, Northeast United FC, and Jamshedpur FC, others.
He announced his retirement from the sport in December last year after donning the national team jersey 67 times.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com