By Dhruv Shah,
AIFF MEDIA TEAM

NEW DELHI: Any sport has the ability to change an individual’s life. A talented man or woman, coming from any background, can take the world by storm by proving their credentials and that is exactly what all the players from Kuppuraj Football Club are trying to do at the inaugural edition of the Hero Futsal Club Championship.

Formed on this day 6 years ago, Kuppuraj FC have made enormous strides in the recent past. The club was formed as a tribute to late Mr Kuppuraj, one of the finest players ever to represent the state of Puducherry. His son, Mr Sugumaran Kuppuraj, is the secretary of the club now. With a squad assembled from humble backgrounds, Kuppuraj FC will look to make inroads on one of the biggest stages now.

Heading into the tournament, the head coach, Mr Veerababu Sivaneni, said that the team is super excited and are looking forward to participating in the Hero Futsal Club Championship. There are stars in this small team to watch out for as well, with Austin Jijo, a former player for Ahmedabad-based club ARA FC, Basith Ahmed, and Rajaganapathy experts with the ball at their feet.

The coach also admits that Futsal is not just a competitive sport for them. “Playing Futsal is a great stress-buster for me and my team, which also helps us improve the interpersonal discipline between the teammates,” continued Mr Veerababu, “The pace of the game is the most exciting thing to us and in addition to that, the team coordination in smaller pitches will be a challenging aspect. Doing it with elegance is a skill to learn and practice.”

The coach also feels that his team will not be afraid to come up against anyone, but reserves special praise for Bengaluru FC. “Bengaluru FC will be a tough challenge for us in our group. However, we are our favourites and our destiny is in our hands. The club is also hoping that their participation in the Hero Futsal Club Championship will inspire younger players to follow this path. We believe it will benefit our players to reach other heights, which is a pride and achievement for us. The participation brings out more positivity not only in our team but all other clubs in Pondicherry too."

Mr. Veerababu Sivaneni also thanked the All India Football Federation for hosting this tournament. “We would also like to thank the All India Football Federation for giving us an opportunity to put our views forward.”