Karnataka's blue-eyed boy Shreyas Ketkar is all set to practice with the U-19 Indian squad when the training sessions resume.
Karnataka's Shreyas Ketkar is all set to practice with the Indian Under-19 team as and when the on-ground training sessions resume. Ketkar, who captained Kartanaka at U-17 level and took them to title in the Khelo India Youth Games and made his name playing for the FC Bengaluru United and is now all set to make the big leap.
Naturally, Ketkar was excited at the opportunity and said that his main goal is to play for the Senior Indian team. In an FC Bengaluru release, Ketkar said, "I am very excited to train with the India U-19 squad, but my goal is to not only play for the India U-19 team but to definitely play for the Indian Senior Team one day. However, I have to take one step at a time. Hopefully, I can do well here and eventually move into the Senior Team. My immediate goal is to make it to the India U-19 squad for the U-19 AFC Cup in 2022."
After his impressive stint in the Khelo India Youth Games, Ketkar was part of Bengaluru United's U-18 batch where he got the first taste of the I-League and played for the FC Bengaluru United from October 2020 to January 2021. Ketkar impressed the selectors during the trials held by the first division I-League team after he played for Bengaluru United in the second division last year.
Ketkar was also quick to acknowledge the efforts and handwork of the coaching staff in his development as a player now from when he entered the FC Bengaluru United set-up. "They [the coaches] gave a chance to everyone, even young players like me. We got a chance to play and compete in the second division. I learnt a lot about the game in a different way," the 17-year old said.
Ketkar also heaped praise on former Indian international Gouramangi Singh, who is the Assistant Coach at FC Bengaluru United. "It was an honour to be coached under him and play alongside him during practice. He used to play with us for fun and give instructions while playing. He is one of the greatest-ever players. He is always open to suggestions. Drawing from his own experience at the highest level, he tells the players what to do in different situations," he said.
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