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Journalism of Courage
Sipping on his afternoon coffee at one of Pune’s plushest hotels,he had till then held court quite singularly,brandishing his own unique theories on promoting his beloved sport in a rather football-impaired country. A cursory glance to the right though was all it took for Shebby Singh to freeze instantaneously. He wasn’t the only one in the hotel foyer to turn around at breakneck speed to catch a second look,however,at the man who had just sauntered in quite nonchalantly.
Bollywood veteran Rishi Kapoor may not feature on the silver-screen too often these days,but he had still managed to create a buzz upon his entry. And the radical change in the popular 51-year-old football analyst’s demeanour on spotting his longtime hero only added more credence to the fact that even famous people get star-struck at times.
Not wasting any time,Shebby pulled out his camera in a swift move and within moments he had cornered Kapoor to pose for a photograph with hima souvenir for his family and friends back home.
Bristling with excitement almost like a groupie,Shebby didn’t even mind the impatient wait before the Bollywood star finally obliged,though a tad indifferently.
Little did Kapoor seem to know that the fan standing beside him with a toothy grin on his face was in fact a widely recognised TV personality himselfprobably with a more global appeal.
I have been a huge fan of Rishi Kapoor since Bobbyhis first movie,and have followed his films thereafter quite religiously. He is still huge in Malaysia, said Shebby once he had settled down following this unprecedented brush with his favourite Bollywood star.
He might not yet possess the charisma to turn heads on the streets of Pune,but Shebby,who is a regular in the ESPN studios during their English Premier League (EPL) coverage,is slowly building a reputation for himself amongst the young footballers of the city.
The former Malaysian center-back paid his second visit to the city to initiate his plans to pioneer an under-12 ‘league’ in the city. And first to undergo the rigours of professional training were the St Vincents school.
The under-12 league is bound to increase the level of football in the city. We need to develop the skill of the footballers right from a young age to produce a new and improved breed of talent. We are conducting training camps in different schools around Pune and plan to expand to other cities as well once this takes off, said the TV pundit,who has been contracted by the Venkys Groupowners of EPL side Blackburn Roversto scout for talent to include in the Rovers Football Academy which is being set up in Pune.
Shebby was,however,shocked on his first day when he observed exactly how the young footballers in schools remained an ignored breed. Especially after he found that the kids warmed up under no real supervision,and following some basic exercises were asked to play a full-length game.
The practice session was a little bit of a downer. Kids at such a young age need to enjoy the sport so that they look forward to practice every morning. Even after I corrected them a few times,they would go back to their old technique when I was not paying attention, he said.
Disappointed,he went back to his hotel but returned for the afternoon session with a brand new agenda. He sat the boys down,borrowed a couple of movable blackboards and chalked out the plan of practice. This is how the kids at Blackburn do it, he kept repeating,hoping to motivate the kids to follow his instructions. The warm-up,this time,involved a two-touch game played along the lines of monkey in the middle,followed by a few laps around the ground and some stretches during and after the lap. The lads,as Shebby liked to call them,then practiced their touch and passing with the right foot and the left. This was followed by some one-two passes and wall passes and finally with a four-a-side game of scrimmage played in the format of futsal.
The players get a chance to show-off their skill,their touch and their ability to make quick one-two passes. It improves their decision-making and also keeps them on their toes all the time, Shebby explained.
The next day,while he undertook the third session,he was pleased to find that the blackboards had not been cleared. Defense dont be clever; Midfield – maximum of two touches and Forwards show-off your skill read one of the boards which was divided into three parts and the boys followed the instructions to the hilt. Football practice for a change was all about having fun but learning a lot along the way.
Shebby will be back in Pune in two weeks’ time to continue his progress with his wards. And though he still has a long way to go before becoming a head-turner himself in his new-found second home,there will at least be a bunch of impressionable young minds awaiting his return.
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