Overview

• The BJP’s week-long Narendra Cup began on September 11 and ends September 17, spanning 43 local tournaments with participation topping 1,300 teams.
• Winners in each event receive Rs 50,000, runners-up Rs 25,000, and third-place teams Rs 15,000, with a theme song and jersey rolled out ahead of the launch.
• The West Bengal government’s Swami Vivekananda Cup, organised by the Youth Services and Sports Department with the IFA, features 348 matches and a final slated for March 26, 2026.
• Both calendars are framed around the anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s 1893 Chicago address, while the BJP also times its finale to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.
• Organisers cast the tournaments as youth outreach before the polls, with BJP leaders closely involved despite claims of a non-party event and TMC figures rejecting charges of politicisation.