"You never know what's coming next" - Yash Chikro navigates through eternal loss to find a spot in Rajasthan United FC's senior team

I could've never thought something like this would happen to my father so suddenly. Yash Chikro let out a sigh as he uttered these words.

Like many, the COVID-19 pandemic devastated Yash's household. The irrevocable loss brought his nascent footballing aspirations to a precipitous halt when his father passed away in 2021. The whole world shattered around the then-16-year-old as all of his family's responsibility came hurling down on his shoulder.

Stuck at the crossroad of looking after his mother and three sisters, and pursuing his dreams of becoming a footballer, Yash was inching towards choosing the former option.

But a call from Rajasthan United FC (RUFC) and his family's relentless support gave his career a second wind.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the midfielder from Arunachal Pradesh opened up about navigating a career in football through humble beginnings, naysayers, his father's demise, and the weight of family responsibilities.

"When I was in Class 10 my dad passed away during the Covid-19 pandemic. I was playing locally at that time and always regretted, 'If dad would've been here, I could have played the sport professionally.' Because he used to support me a lot. As I was the only son, after his death I had my mother and three sisters to look after," Yash narrated.

"They kept on telling me that they would manage themselves, but I found it difficult to stay away from them in that hour of distress. I had planned to switch to a school close to my place after my board exams and that would mean leaving football," he added.

However, Kamal Singh Saroha, the Director of Football at RUFC, happened to come across videos of Yash's matches in the Sub-Junior National Football Championship.

Yash stated:

"During my final exams, Kamal Sir called my mother. They had seen videos of my sub-junior matches and wanted me to come to Rajasthan. After the call, my mother said I should give football a last shot. I always had the aspiration to continue playing so I agreed to her."

For Yash, it still didn't feel right to be so far away from his family when they needed him the most. But it also didn't feel right for him to throw away everything his father had helped build.

"When I was growing up, no professional footballer had come up from our village and we didn't even have any football culture. So everyone thought making a profession in this sport isn't possible. But I would keep requesting my dad to let me train," Yash said.

"After Class 6 I wanted to join a Sports School in Itanagar, which is far away from our village. Everyone around kept telling Dad to not send me there, as they thought kids get spoilt after going there. But he decided to send me despite everyone else telling him otherwise. That was one of the most important steps in my football journey then and it wouldn't have happened without my father's support," the youngster recalls while talking about his father's immense contribution to his footballing career," he added.

Hence, persuaded by his mother and elder sister, who had taken up a job to aid the family, and with his undeterred love for the game, Yash left for Jaipur. At the academy, the skillful midfielder impressed heavily, winning the Most Valuable Player award in the 2022 Pink City Super League.

Ultimately, the club decided to promote him to the senior team ahead of the 2023-24 season. He also received a call-up for the current India U19 Squad earlier in the year.

And what emotions conquered his heart when he received the promotion?

"This is the moment for which I had practiced and sacrificed so much. Because of my dream to become a professional footballer, I couldn't even give Maa a lot of time and support after Dad's death. Now all of them are happy and so am I. Glad that all these efforts could transpire into something, however small that achievement is. I also need to thank Rajasthan United FC for giving me this opportunity, because without their support none of this would be possible," Yash averred.

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"It feels great to represent my people" - Rajasthan United FC's Yash Chikro on representing the Mishmi Tribe at the national level

Only a handful of football players have emerged out of Arunachal Pradesh. None from the Mishmi Tribe, natives of the North-Eastern state. Although from a very young age, Yash Chikro was enamored of football, there was none to guide him on his journey to the top of the food chain. No blueprint before him to emulate.

The ones who choose to walk the unexplored roads often face the sternest eye-rolls at the onset. So did the midfielder when he decided to tread on this footballing journey long back. But now, the laudation just doesn't seem to stop.

Yash said:

"It feels great to represent my people. Whenever I meet them, they tell me there's been no one from our Tribe to have represented us on this platform before and that hopefully more people will follow in my footsteps. It feels great because I could show people that wherever you're from, you can play football. Now people from my village can hopefully support their kids if they want to make a career in this sport."

"I don't want to say that I'm incredibly successful or have achieved something unthinkable," Yash added humbly. "But that's how things work. If you can make things go your way, everyone will support you. If not, they won't. My people hadn't seen anyone making a career in football before."

Even if not unthinkable, what Yash achieved with his promotion to the senior team of an I-League outfit is one that makes you believe in football still being one of the pillars of working-class culture.

After Rajasthan's announcement, the whole of Arunachal took notice of their beloved son's unraveling tale. Even the Chief Minister of the state, Pema Khandu, congratulated the youngster.

The journey has only started for the 18-year-old. His eyes are all set on making his senior-team debut in the upcoming season and repaying Rajasthan United for all the faith they've entrusted him with.

But Yash isn't ready to rest on his laurels just yet. The agony that consumed his family during the pandemic, the elation that Rajasthan United's inclusion brought him, everything has taught the teenager a little something.

"The greatest learning? You never know what's coming next so just keep doing the hard work. I could've never thought something like this would happen to my father so suddenly. Since then every time I've entered the pitch, I keep remembering my father and try to give my all," he concluded.

Before the phone disconnected, with utter humility, the youngster expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to be interviewed. The kind of humility one attains when they have seen the unfathomable lows and the precariousness of life. But also the kind that holds your head down and makes you reach unthinkable highs.