It was nothing short of a fairytale run for the Dharwad District Football Association (DDFA) XI. Just three months after securing affiliation to the State body and hardly a month old, the Red Brigade from Northern Karnataka cruised to the final of the recently concluded inter-district tournament, and returned home joint winners with hosts Bangalore as rain marred the title clash on two successive days.
Consensus prevailed among those who watched the Dharwad players in action -- here is a bunch of talented footballers with the potential to emerge as giants in the state arena. The performance was certainly impressive. Dharwad did not lose a single match in the tournament, and were second only to Bangalore in the scoring tally.
‘Great feeling’
“Playing a tournament for the first time and winning it is a great feeling,” remarks young Irshad Makkubhai, the coach of the squad.
Breaking the shackles despite lack of proper infrastructure was never easy. “It was the first time we played on a beautiful turf (Bangalore Football Stadium). We usually play in mud fields. Also, for the first time in their lives, most of us got a chance to play with Nike balls,” says captain Rathnapaul Kandi, the team’s defensive mainstay and a national seven-a-side player.
“If we get the same support as teams like Bangalore receive, we can play as well as anybody else,” points out  goalkeeper Yohan Kothary.
The team comprised mostly students in their late teens and early 20s, besides two seniors who have represented Railways. The 18-member squad was picked on the basis of their performances in the district-level league.
Morale-booster
The victory will have an impact on the popularity of the game back home, reckons team manager Umesh Mukthamath, also an NIS coach. “This triumph is a morale-booster for budding talent in Dharwad. More youngsters will surely take up the game,” he says.
Lack of infrastructure and paucity of funds are major impediments in the path to progress. But DDFA secretary Dr Satish Kanniah opts to stay positive. “Financial crunch and unfavourable conditions are common to all sport in the northern part of the state, though there is no dearth of talent here,” says Kanniah, a private medical practictioner, former player and coach.
“This win shows we are not inferior to anybody. We have our own style of play -- we study the opponents in the first half and go for the kill in the second. That’s why all victories in the tournament except one were comeback wins and most of the goals were scored in the second half,” points out Kanniah.
Coach Makkubhai does not want the win to become a flash in the pan, and has already chalked out long-term plans. “Once the schools reopen, we will conduct age-wise, inter-school tournaments that will become a regular affair. Also, we will try to spot talent from the educational hub of Dharwad,” says Makkubhai.
Makkubhai is pushing for more effort from the players and the association, and seeking more encouragement from the public. “One of the major drawbacks of our players is a lack of understanding of the techincal side of the game.
“For example, we were very weak in set-pieces, particularly corner-kicks. My immediate aim is to work on that,” Makkubhai adds.
Looking for support
If enough support comes from all quarters, Kanniah is sure that excessive heat or long rainy spells can never stop Dharwad from conquering greater heights and ending the migration of sportspersons to Bangalore.
The spark is already there. Will that transform into a fire that can destroy all roadblocks on the route to glory? The answer lies somewhere out there as Dharwad begin a new era in football, starting with an invitation tournament in Maharashtra next month.