Xavier back in Aircraft ranks

One of Hindustan Aeronautics Sports Club’s finest players, Xavier Vijay Kumar, returned to his roots in fine fashion, producing a show from the past much to the joy of a goodly audience at the Bangalore Football Stadium.

Xavier, who left HASC for Churchill Brothers in 2011 after having led the Aircraftmen to the I-League, picked up from where he had left off, setting up the opener and combining well with his old mates in a 2-1 win over Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) in the Puttaiah Memorial Cup.

“It’s good to be back,” Xavier told Deccan Herald after the match. “HAL gave me the identity as a footballer and this is where it all started for me. So, to come back and play in front of a good crowd that has known me for such a long time is fantastic.”

After having spent nearly 13 years with the Aircraftmen, Xavier decided to move to greener pastures despite having a permanent job with the PSU. The 33-year-old chose to take the gamble due to various factors.

“I wanted a taste of professional football and 30 was a good time to take that risk. I knew I would be leaving a secure job but unless you take risks you can’t gain any experience. I learnt from Churchill; professionalism, training rituals, diet etc. Things also get done quickly at professional clubs.”

However, with hardly any chances coming his way, the wily winger struggled to showcase his full potential before his contract ran out this May. In a bid to keep himself fit, he started training with HASC and an impressed coach Chandrasekar offered him a one-year deal. With nothing to lose, Xavier accepted the deal, hoping for a second wind in his career.

“My goal now is to help HAL win the Puttaiah memorial. I’m playing for passion rather than money.”

Results: C Puttaiah: HASC: 2 (Jagba Hamza 49th, RC Prakash 81st) bt ADE: 1 (Daniel Chru 81st).

Prasanna Kumar: Postal: 2 (Einstein 35th, Schlenmang 70th) bt Tilak Memorial: 0.