Since the inception in 1919, Hooghly District Sports Association continues to promote, foster, control and encourage indoor-outdoor sports and games that include cricket, football, hockey, athletics aside from several other disciplines. The association is also responsible for organising tournaments in various branches within and outside Hooghly District. Keeping in mind the importance of integrity, the association has made it a strong point to encourage sportsmanship and foster the spirit of discipline besides protecting the rights and privileges of its members.
The idea of forming an Association of all clubs which had been taking part in different sports & games for almost three decades at Chinsurah Ground popularly called Kutir Math ,was born in a late autumn evening in the year 1918. On that day a military teamfrom Puna (now Pune) had won the coveted Bernard Cup.Just after the presentation ceremony ,and after the departure of the winner,The Training Reserve battalion ,Pune, among the guests were Mr. JM Bottomly ,Principal ,Hooghly College ,Mr. C.H.Waterworth ,Superintendent of police, Hooghly, Sri Raghabendra Banerjee, Addl. Superintendent of Police ,Hooghly(Grand father of Actor Victor Banerjee) ,Sri Debendra Mondal, representative of Chinsurah Sporting Club (earlier Boy’s sporting Club) and Sri Subal Chandra Paul , representative of host Chinsurah Town Clubwho were the organizers of Bernard Cup.they discussed among themselves the utility of forming an Association composed of all clubs of thje town for conducting all games & sports.
Subsequently a meeting was called with the Divisional commissioner as Chairman at the circuit house.it was resolved to form an Association with the object of conducting all games at Chinsurah Ground bringing all existing clubs under its umbrella of rules & regulations. Sri Debendra Nath Mondal & Sri Subal Chandra Paul representing two major clubs of Chinsurah namely Chinsurah Sporting Association & Chinsurah Town Club respectively were nominated as the first Jt. Secretaries with the Commissioner as President EX- Officio. The association was named as Hooghly Sports Association and a Constitution was framed with rules & regulations.Though the Association was established in the year 1919, it started functioning from 1920 after its first general meeting in that year on 25.01.1920.Sri Debendra Nath Mondal & Sri Subal Chandra Paul were the first Jt. Secretaries & Rai Bahadur Mahendra Nath Mitra & Sri Jogendra Lal Chowdhury were the Vice Presidents , Chairman being the Ex officio Commisiioner ,Burdwan Division.
From 1920 , the games of football, Cricket, Hockey tennis were conducted by H.S.A at Chinsurah Ground. At the very start only thirteen clubs WERE ITS MEMBERS. They were 1. Chinsurah Town Club, 2.Boy’s Sporting Club(later named Chinsurah Sporting Association)3. Hooghly College, 4.Police A.C 5.Dupleix College ,Chandernagore 6.Hooghly Collegiate School, 7.Dacca Military police ,Hooghly Detachment ,8.Chinsurah Woodburn Club 9.UFC Mision School (presently Duff High School)10. Shome Training Academy, Chinsurah 11.Govt. Training School 12.Hooghly Madrasha 13. Radharaman United Sporting Club ,Dumurdaha.
Later on the Association earned some good reputation for governace & clubs like Boys Club,Chandernagore Sporting Club & C.C.Club from Chandernagore & Gouripur & Garifa Club from 24 Parganas became its members. HSA at Chinsurah was a local organization & it did not get its District status . It organized several tournaments.
In football : 1. Gladstone Cup – Started by Boy’s Sporting Club (later named Chinsurah Sporting Club)in 1898, 2.Bernard Cup :- Started by Chinsurah Town Club in1916 3. Radharaman Shied for football league. 4. Grand Challenge Shield for schools & colleges (later only for schools) 5.Junior Shield for Junior Division clubs. 6.Griffiths cup – First for 6 –A- Side then for Eleven -a Side. 7. Armstice Shield for boys of 4’-6” heights 8. Tom Tit Shield for 4’boys (started much later) In cricket Arya Challenge Shield (Knock out)* In Hockey 1. Hockey league started by Town Club in 1917 In Tennis ;- 1. Bradlyburt Cup for DOUBLES & 2. Moberly Shield for Singles .They lasted for four to five years. Competitions under HSA changed their formats & subsequently Tennis & Six-A Side games were closed & District School Sports Association took the charge of School games.
Hooghly Sports Association got its District Status in 1938.In that year, Joint Secretaries were Sri Biswanath Basu & Sri Girindra Nath Mondal (Tabai Babu) .Name of the Association remaining the same .It was recognized by Indian Football Association (IFA) in football ,Bengal Gymkhana (Later CAB) in Cricket & Bengal Hockey Association . In this year clubs of Chandernagore left HAS &went under a separate Chandernagore Sporting Association , Serampore Sub Divisional Association also kept its identity as a separate init till 1948, when it came under HSA.
The name of Hooghly Sporting Association remained unchanged till 1951. In 1952 it was registered under Indian Societies Act of 1860 as Hooghly District Sports ASSOCIATION ,Registration no being 20616/272 Dated 9.9.1952. At that time Jt. Secretaries were Sri Prabodh Mukhopadhyay & Sri lalmohan Mallick. It must be mentioned here the help extended by Sri Bhupati Mazumdar for this registration process who was one of the greatest sons of Hooghly Chinsurah & regarded as GOD or Saint.
The Chinsurah Ground whose legacy & traditions are borne by Hooghly District Sports Association presently, was created by the British for Military purposes. Only Military Personnels used to take part in physical activities like football & cricket in those days. Local natives were out cast. Situation changed revolutionarily when Hooghly College was established in 1836 with money from Mohsin trust.native students learnt Shakespeare & the likes from professors Captain D.L.Richardson were also introduced & encouraged to western games of (a) Football by professors & principals like William Griffith (1876-85),E.M .Wheeler (1890-92)(b) Cricket by William Booth (1882-97 & (c) Hockey by William Billing (1897-1903).
As a result young men of Hooghly Chinsurah began to have interest in Western Games & several clubs came into existence one after another.1883 –Town club 1890- Ripon AC 1893- Boys’ Sporting Club (later named Chinsurah Sporting Club) 1895 – Victoria Club 1896 –Nabab Saheb XI 1898 –Woodburn Club 1900 – Police AC 1906 –Oriental Club (Merged with Town Club) 1910- Young Boys AC (Merged with Town Club)
These Clubs were established much before Hooghly Sporting Association came into existence.. Several India famous tournaments like Gladstone Cup, Bernard Cup etc. were started & managed by these clubs with success. Hooghly Sporting Association (later HDSA) was established to uphold the tradition of sports & games existing in Chinsurah in a standard ,legalised & efficient manner. Now in course of time its activities are spread over the whole of Hooghly District , as gloriously as in its past.