Jamshedpur, Nov. 30: From the dusty alleys of a nondescript village on the outskirts of Ranchi to the lush green grounds of Dhaka, Subodh Kumar has dribbled a really long way.
The promising midfielder and his fellow cadet at Tata Football Academy (TFA), Jagtar Singh, have earned berths in the India Under-23 squad for the 8th South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup, beginning in Bangladesh from December 4, through a string of great performances in the domestic circuit.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced the 20-member team today. While Subodh and Jagtar made it, TFA defender Raju Gaekwad, who was also on the list of probables, missed the bus.
The national squad will leave for Dhaka on Wednesday. Besides hosts Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are taking part in the soccer show that will end on December 13. India take on Afghanistan in their first match on December 5.
Subodh, Jagtar and Raju had been sweating it out for a fortnight at the Indian camp in Goa. For Subodh, this is a big leap towards graduating to the senior level. The 20-year-old son of a farmer had represented the Under-19 team at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying tournament in Iran in 2007.
“This can be a turning point for young players like me. I am very happy and want to talk to my father who, I know, is very anxious to hear the news,” Subodh said from Goa.
The village lad, who took off his cricket pads to wear football boots, put up a classy show in the recently concluded IFA Shield in Calcutta. The very agile midfielder created several openings with his pace and dribbling, and also thumped in three goals. “He was one of the players who played a vital role in getting us a quarter-final spot. Subodh also excelled in the last edition of Durand Cup,” said TFA assistant coach P. Vijay Kumar.
Twenty-year-old Jagtar is on a par with his fellow cadet. “He is a superb striker and will improve further,” Kumar said. “We were confident that all three cadets would find berths. Raju did not make it, but that’s all part of the game,” he added.
Like Subodh, Jagtar entered the TFA portals in 2006. He, too, has represented the country at the junior level. The striker has flaunted the Under-17 colours and been to Iran for the AFC qualifying matches. “It feels good to move forward. I will do my best for the country,” Jagtar, a native of Gurdaspur in Punjab, said.
