Former Indian captain I.M. Vijayan believes football does have a future in India despite the popularity of cricket.
It was all about ball control, dribbles and tackles. Sometimes, the ‘matches’ turned volatile, the after effects of which were smashed furniture. World Cup matches were watched on the telly at unearthly hours.
Back then, dad told us about this little boy who used to sell sodas at the Trichur Municipal Stadium. He said the boy made use of the money earned to watch matches at the stadium, apart from helping his poor family. He said that his passion for football was unmatched, so much so that, he used to sit and watch with keenness, if anybody was playing ball. Dad remembered, once when he was playing football, the boy watched the game with rapt attention.
It has been close to four decades since and lots of things have happened. Dad is no more and things have moved on. And as far as the little boy goes, he’s 40-years-old now, and has left an inedible mark on Indian football’s landscape. He is Inivalappil Mani Vijayan, better known as IM Vijayan or ‘Vijaya,’ Vijayetta (brother Vijay) in Kerala and ‘Bijoyan’ for his fans back in Kolkata where he paraded his wares for giant clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
It has been the typical rags-to-riches journey for the man who transformed Indian football and wrote his name into the book of legends.
And with Trichur being the cultural capital of Kerala, it didn’t come as a surprise that the ‘Black Pearl of Indian football’ made his foray into acting.
Looking slimmer, athletic and good enough to make a comeback, Vijayan, showed no airs, nor attitude. He was still the same Vijayan, dad has told us about. Sitting in a plush apartment in Abu Dhabi, the humbleness was unmistakable. He was still connected to his roots.
The ‘fox in the box’ spoke on a variety of topics.
Excerpts:
Indian football still a poor cousin…
Cricket is still the popular game. Though we have the National Football League, we get to watch only a few matches live. And it doesn’t help that most of them, who played football, and even kids, have turned their attention to cricket because of better TV coverage.
Kerala, once a powerhouse…
In Kerala, we used to have a lot of tournaments before. Now, we have very few tournaments.
We only have the National Football League and the Durand Cup to look forward to now. So, there are not many opportunities for the players to shine.
Indian or foreign coaches…
We do have some very good Indian coaches. Also, there are lots of foreign coaches who are good. Ultimately, it should benefit Indian football. Debating about having an Indian or foreign coach makes no sense. Though I haven’t worked with the present coach Bob Houghton, I have heard that he is a fine coach.
We have the coaches but the problem lies at the player level. Some senior players are not ready to undergo strenuous sessions. Also, there are other interferences.
Date in the UAE…
I still remember that match we played in the UAE and I have fond memories. It was at Al Ain. We had a lot of Malayalis and Indian supporters at one section of the stadium. It was good to see so many Indians here supporting us. Funnily, UAE’s standard of football has gone up and our standard has come down.
Where is the money…
Money is there in Indian football. Without sponsorship itself, there is money as the public pays to watch. But nobody knows where the money is going. The players don’t get it. If there is money, boys will take up football.
Future of Indian football…
We do have a future in football. We can think about the World Cup but at first, we need to get going at the grass-root level.
We should set up academies and nurture boys from the age of 12. We should send them on exposure trips.
Foreign players…
Foreign players playing in our clubs is good but these clubs are not getting the best. Only a few like Barretto are good. Instead of learning from them, they are learning from us.
Best moment…
It was winning the Arjuna award. Winning the highest honour gave a sense of satisfaction.
Future Vijayans…
I just did the C Licence in coaching. I had set up an academy. We had a match between Mohan Lal XI and Mammoty XI which generated a lot of funds.
We used that to train young boys at camps over a five-year period.
But we don’t have the money now and no sponsorship as well. It is shut for the time being.
Vijayan, the star…
I had been to a function where film maker Jayaraj was also present. He offered me a role of Shantham. Earlier, a documentary was made on me titled Kaala Hiran. After that, acted in Aakashathile Paravakal and Quotation. I acted in a Tamil movie called Thimiru (he played the villain). My latest film is Gulmohar.
