Kochi: Nita Ambani, the founder and chairperson of Indian Super League, expressed hope that through Reliance Foundation Youth Sports, Kerala will be able to produce more sportspersons like P.T. Usha and P.R. Sreejesh in the future.
She said that Reliance Foundation Youth Sports in the coming years will expand its activities in Kerala and the foundation will move away from football and start concentrating on other games. More schools and colleges will be brought under this scheme and through this, Kerala will be able to produce more talented sportspersons, she said.
The massive fan base of the Kerala Blasters was the prime reason why Kochi was selected to host the final of the third edition of ISL, Ambani said. “They deserve this final. The Blasters’ fans are like the team’s 12th man. The way they encouraged the team was unbelievable. I wish to thank the fans individually,” she said.
Excerpts from the interview
ISL was earlier a dream and now it has become a reality. What were the factors, which led to start of such league?
In India, football had almost died. However, we knew that states like Kerala, Goa, Bengal and North Eastern States still had people who genuinely loved the game. When we decided that India should excel in sports, the idea of starting the ISL came up. We felt it was necessary that we should give a platform for Indian footballers to excel and we were able to do it.
What was Kerala’s contribution to the league?
Obviously the massive fan base. Though Kerala lost in the final in the first season by a solitary goal, the shops selling television sets in the state remained open till the end of the final to enable people on the streets to watch the match. Now people can feel proud after seeing C.K. Vineeth play. I can cite an example of how ISL stoked up excitement in Kerala. The 19-year-old Mohammed Ashik from Malappuram who plays for Pune FC got an opportunity to train at Spain’s Villarreal club. Let more Ashiks come out from Kerala.
What was the most difficult thing you encountered while running this league?
The most difficult part before the start of the league was developing the basic infrastructure. The renovation of stadium, improvement of turf and locker room facilities and modifications of practice stadiums were some things that we worked on. The clubs helped us a lot in this regard. We had to relay the turf on many stadiums. I was particular that not even one footballer should suffer injury because of the poor quality of playing fields.
What was your most memorable ISL experience?
The opening ceremony of the inaugural edition of ISL was held in Kolkata. The league was born as a result of long-term planning and hard work. To see its results unfold before me was a dream come true experience. The second one was on November 6, 2014 when Kerala Blasters were playing against Goa. It was the first time I was coming to Kochi to watch a football match. In the 64th minute, Milagraves Gonsalves scored a goal for Kerala Blasters and the whole stadium went berserk. It was an open exhibition of Kerala’s long history and passion. That moment was enough for me to visit the stadium again and again.
Do your children have the same passion for football?
Akash is a fanatic football fan. My daughter Isha was in the school football team. Both of them are hard core fans of ISL. My younger son Anand loves to watch football. But he likes birds and animals more. He is very much interested in rehabilitating wounded pet animals that are abandoned in the streets. He brings them home and takes care of them.