The state labour department will organise a football tournament for the residents of tea gardens across north Bengal, both in the hills and the plains, from May 1.

State labour minister Becharam Manna announced that the Tea Gold Cup Football Tournament would be held in the Dooars next month to promote sports among youths who live in tea estates and identify talented budding footballers who can be trained in due course.

“We are organising this tournament in association with the Indian Football Association (IFA). It will continue for almost a month. A number of teams will participate at the event. Football experts from the IFA will be joining the tournament and will identify footballers who would be trained in due course so that they can get a chance to play in prominent football clubs of Calcutta,” said Manna.

Barun Roy, the principal secretary of state labour department, said the tournament will be kicked off on May 1. The finals would be played on May 21.

“For the tournament, we have divided the entire tea belt of north Bengal into four zones, namely, Darjeeling, Siliguri, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri. There will be six teams from each zone,” said Roy.

Sources said the tourney will start with intra-zone matches, followed by inter-zonal marches.

Bulu Chik Baraik, the minister of state for backward classes’ welfare, has welcomed the initiative.

“It will help the budding players of the tea gardens to exhibit their skills before football experts,” said Baraik, who himself hails from a tea estate of the Dooars.