Arsenal Ahoy! Humble lads live golden dream

Shanthosh Kumar and Mani Maran

With a daily earning of Rs 200-300 per day, sometimes lesser, autorickshaw driver Kannan knew that his meager source of income will not ensure a promising future for his son Shanthosh Kumar. So he packed off his only son to Government Sports High School in Bangalore, a big institution run under aegis of the DYSS for deserving sports kids that provides free education, food and accommodation.

The young Shanthosh rebelled, even ran back home on several occasions to be with his family but was forcibly sent back.

It may not be the ideal rag-to-riches tale, but cut to the present, Shanthosh is a very happy lad. “Good I was sent back,” he sheepishly admitted after copious months of learning the nuances of football under coach Krishna helped the 15-year-old win something he would have never expected in his lifetime – a trip to train with London giants Arsenal.

“I could not believe it when my coach told me about it. All my hard work has paid off. This is truly the best moment of my life,” Shanthosh said.

Arsenal Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars has been a boon for many aspiring footballers around the country, and the quality of talent in the state is clearly reflected in the final squad every season that trains at the Emirates Stadium. The fourth edition, that began in December last year, covered 15 cities with more that 7,000 budding players from over 1,000 schools taking part in the event. Head scout Jamshed Nassiri picked 30 of the best players for a two-week camp under Arsenal coaches in Kolkata last month. Of these kids, a 16-member team was shortlisted to represent India at the Arsenal International Soccer Festival from July 18 to August 1.

Joining Shanthosh to London is his schoolmate Manimaran, who recently was chosen for a week-long training stint with Scottish club Celtic FC later this year. This will come as a double delight for the Austin Town lad, whose brother Manivannan had won last year’s edition and a trip to London.

Manimaran (left) with Celtic coaches

Manimaran, who lost his mother when he was two, dedicated the trip to his dad, who passed away a month ago. “He wanted to see me as the country’s top footballer. Last year when my brother had gone to Arsenal, he told me follow his footsteps and win next year. He was the driving force behind my love for football and would have been very proud today,” the 15-year-old said.

So what is it about these lads that caught the Arsenal coaches’ eyes? “Dedication and the thirst to learn,” explains coach Krishna. “Manimaran is an excellent midfielder. He is agile, quick to adapt as the situation demands and can strike with either feet. Shanthosh, on the other hand, is very flexible, fast and a powerful left-footer. More importantly, they were quick to understand what the coaches were saying and correct themselves.”

A lot of credit must go to the Sports School which has given new directions to kids from humble backgrounds and without which the likes of Shanthosh and Manimaran would not have been able to live their dreams.