Influence of football on my life

At the age of "eight" I started playing football and initially I was persuaded by my father to play football, as he always wanted me and my brother to be a professional footballer. Unlike other footballers our financial condition was pretty well and never felt any difficulties until I completed my school life. I still remember the day when my dad took me and my brother to buy football kits for the first time and we both were given a football and a jersey - pant set of Argentina. There was never any deficiency of enthusiasm in my dad as far as his contribution was concerned to motivate us to take up the game as a passion and profession of our life.

In spite of having all the family support I never had the true desire to play the game until I was “twelve and joined Sodepur club”. The atmosphere of Sodepur Club was actually something that attracted me and grew my interest for the game. After so many years now when I am working for a professional football club as a manager and have to deal with top class football players of India and many foreign players, I still miss that true passion for football which I had experienced in Sodepur club.

It is true that as a footballer I couldn’t achieve the tag of a successful professional footballer but altogether soccer has a great influence on my life. In my two decades journey in football, from an amateur footballer to a manager of a professional club in all divisions of I-league, gave me an enormous opportunity to learn many valuable lessons and also gave me the prospect to come across many people from different regions of the world. Each phase of my life taught me something new and helped me to be stronger than the previous day.

While facing the toughest phases of life I learnt to stay calm and never loose hope. Every time I fell down the strong mentality that entrusted upon me through football gave me the strength to fight back and go ahead with a broader prospect. I still remember the day , when my leg was broken, lying on the hospital bad I could sense it pretty well that my football career had come to the verge of destruction. There I was all broken from inside but again it was the beautiful game “football” that never let me feel disheartened. Whenever I felt disappointed there was something to push me to go ahead but I don’t know what was the source of power that kept me pushing always.

Now looking back I could sense it pretty well that the purpose of my life wasn’t predicated like others. I can feel too that “happiness doesn’t only lie on achievements but the continuous endeavour of overcoming your difficulties gives the true pleasure of life. Now I dream to fulfil my incomplete desire of becoming a professional footballer through thousands of young kids of our club. As there is say “life is not all about how much you gain but how much you give” so keeping it in mind I am going ahead in life to fulfil the dreams of plenty of young footballers across the country.

Ever since the true passion of football grew into me, I started considering life from a different perspective. I hope to serve the society and our nation in future as well with all my expertise that I have learnt throughout the process of understanding the game. As I am quite desirous and open to learn more from life and football, I strongly believe that it in turn will definitely help me to progress in life and also to help others in much better and comprehensive manner.