There were a few bald heads out there on the pitch, while some of them had fast receding grey hair and quite a few spotted a paunch.
But then looks hardly mattered, names did. For, the names that featured in the exhibition match between the veterans of the Kerala Police team and Bolgatty FC at the Ambedkar Stadium on Thursday brought back an avalanche of memories of an era when Kerala football was probably at its zenith, and an Indian side without some of those marquee Malayali players was unthinkable.
For the Kerala Police, there were the likes of I.M. Vijayan who roamed around the opposition box with his now legendary predatory poaching instincts, feigning and juggling a bit, making an occasional sprint, and as usual was on the receiving end of some hard tackles, while Kurikesh Mathew took the ball to 20 yards off the box before letting loose a fierce strike, and a still fit-as-a-fiddle K.T. Chacko looking every bit an active professional under the bar dived to the left stylishly to gather a catch and fearlessly advanced off the line to rob the ball off the feet of an advancing striker to collective gasps.
Playing for his boyhood club in the opposition rank and marshalling the midfield was P.P. Thobias, their former Kerala and Kerala Police teammate and in whose honour the match was held.
For Bolgatty FC, a 48-year-old club from the little known island of Ponjikkara, Mr. Thobias remains its most celebrated son, and there was no better farewell than bringing together his teammates from that golden era for an exhibition match.
“We were planning to organise a farewell for him when it became clear that many of his teammates from the Kerala Police team would be turning up,” said Bonny Thomas, an artist and an avid football fan from Ponjikkara.
Mr. Thobias, who retired as chief marshal at the Kerala Assembly, burst into limelight captaining the Indian youth team in Bangkok in 1982-83 before donning the Indian colour in the SAF Games in 1992. He also figured in the Kerala team for eight consecutive years from 1984 and was part of the Santhosh Trophy winning teams of 1992 and 1993.
While former Indian and Kerala players who turned up for the event recalled his many exploits, the best compliment came from his first coach Rufus D’Souza who boasts many State and Indian players as his disciples.
“His character and sincerity shone through. In football, you need to respect the ball, and the ball will give that respect back. He had that quality and also knew when to hold the ball, when, where and to whom to pass it,” said Mr. D’Souza who had been coaching children at Fort Kochi for the last 51 years.
Mr. Thobias recollected his boyhood playing days at Ponjikkara where the small space in front of a local church doubled up as a ground, and one firm kick sent the ball flying to the backwaters surrounding it. That space is no longer there, as the club shifted its training sessions to Ambedkar stadium a few years ago.
“Even in the past, footballers mostly came up from impoverished grounds, and the background of players like me and Vijayan proves it. So, it is my mission to identify and groom players from such backgrounds,” said Mr. Thobias, who also sought support from all for his proposed football academy.
Published - March 12, 2021 01:22 am IST
