Growing up, and leaving
I grew up playing in Vyalikaval, near Malleswaram. There were a couple of coaches, Puttaswamy and Iqbal Ahmed, who encouraged me. I signed up with ITI; while we were playing the Federation Cup, other teams observed us and three of us got offers. This was in 1989-90. I signed with Mohameddan Sporting for that season, and then played for East Bengal for ten years. I even became vice-captain of the Indian team.
Pressure of playing in Calcutta
At Salt Lake Stadium, the gallery would be packed. The public’s reactions change with every match, but you should remain unaffected by whatever they say.
In Calcutta, if you play one match well against any of the three big teams, it will carry you through the year. The public will remember for the whole year. Sometimes, if you play one match badly, they’ll hold it against you for the rest of the season.
In Calcutta, reporters track you all the time, from the stadium to your room. They will report every small detail. Someone’s always following you. That’s how crazy they are about football.
Decision to quit
Earlier I was always in the first eleven. Then I was benched, and came on as substitute. Towards the end, I saw that my position being taken by another player, so I decided to leave. Even though Mohammedan Sporting approached me, I didn’t want to play with a rival of East Bengal.
On Baichung Bhutia
He was just inducted into the team and I was a senior. For the first year, he was always on the bench, and played during the last 10 minutes. He would always score. Although he was never in the first eleven, he never complained. His work ethic was excellent. The coach knew that if he played the whole match, his game would’ve been studied by other teams. Since he came on late in the match, he would be fresh and harass defenders.
Most remarkable player
There was an Iranian player called Majid at Mohammedan Sporting in 1989. That season, when he came for practice, he’d come in an Ambassador whose windows had screens because they didn’t want people to see him. There would be traffic jams if people knew he was in the car. People were crazy about him. He was brilliant, but by the time I got to see him, he’d developed a lot of bad habits. He’d drink a lot and was irregular at practice. But even then, he was so good. He’d play a bit, and he’d tell the goalkeeper he’d take a penalty, and exactly where he would shoot. Tanmoy Bose was the goalkeeper. And Majid would score exactly as he said he would! Think how he was in his prime!
My advice to youth
You should consider your family’s situation. You have to be prepared to lose your job here, and have no expectation of regaining it. You should be prepared that things might not go well there.
Memories
I never complained, and I gave 100% in whatever I did. Maybe that’s why people still remember me. I’ve heard there is someone in Calcutta who, to this day, wears a jersey with my name, and stands in the gallery during East Bengal matches. What more can I ask?
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