‘War cannot be the solution to our problems’: Visit to Nagasaki museum leaves Indian footballers speechless

FC Goa players in front of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum KURATE (JAPAN): It’s the kind of visit that makes people stop and reflect, offering a deeply moving look into one of humanity’s darkest chapters.A group of young Indian footballers, who are here on the Reliance Football Development League’s (RFDL) exhibition tour to Japan, had a sobering experience after visiting the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki on Saturday. During the final days of World War II, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan—”Little Boy” on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and “Fat Man” on Nagasaki three days later—completely destroying both cities and killing hundreds of thousands of people. “When I was a student, I read about this tragedy of the greatest magnitude. But now when I see the pictures and feel how humanity suffered on a day like this, I am at a loss for words,” FC Goa youth coach Israil Gurung told TOI.“At the same time, the museum also offers a timely lesson about how Japan managed to get back on its feet despite such destruction of humanity and become a world power again. It is an important lesson from a sporting point of view as well. No matter how big the fall, if you have the desire and strong will, no one can stop you from bouncing back and settling down again.” winger and I-League winner with Churchill Brothers.Players from Bengaluru FC Reserves under Renedy Singh and Punjab FC youth team under Praveen Kumar also joined their FC Goa counterparts at the museum.“Behind every photograph in the museum, behind every object on display, there is a story and a reminder of how life can change in seconds,” Punjab FC coach Praveen said. According to him, such large-scale destruction caused by nuclear weapons should always be avoided.“Through this visit, we learned about the darker chapters of history. War cannot be the solution to our problems and we must live in peaceful coexistence,” he added. The three Indian youth teams that finished in the top three of the 2025-2026 RFDL have already played two matches each against Japan’s U-18 teams.Their last games are on Monday. (The author is in Japan at the invitation of the RFDL.)