KOCHI:It’s not often you come across an active and healthy person at the age of 88, let alone a football coach. Sunshine or rain, you can find Rufus D’Souza every morning at the Parade Ground in Fort Kochi, screaming instructions to his students aged between 5 - 15. His eyes filled with passion for the game, he coaches the students with the same enthusiasm he had when he started coaching 48 years ago.“I started coaching here in May 1970. Apart from Sundays, public holidays and harthals, I have not missed a day since. If I am alive, you will find me here,” says Rufus.
He believes his students are the reason for his fitness at this age. “I’ve always been particular about my diet. I sleep at 9.15 pm and wake up at 3.45 am, but above all, these kids have helped me stay healthy over the years by keeping me active,” he added. His skills, however, are not limited to football.
In 1954 he captained the Travancore Cochin hockey team and from 1959 he represented Tamil Nadu in both hockey and football. As a coach, Rufus believes discipline is the most important characteristic for a player. “Discipline produces a good player,” he says. His message to his players is simple, ‘I prefer you play a bad game and win rather than play a good game and lose.’
Although he never represented the national team, he is very happy that many of his students did and says they were better players than he was. Some of his students include Kerala Football Association secretary P Anil Kumar, former junior Indian football team captain P P Thobias, former Indian national football team players Feroz Sherif and late Hamilton Bobby, and former FC Cochin player K Anson.
Looking over the historic Parade Ground, Rufus recalls how the British imported grass from Australia to grow over the ground. “The ground is now in a very poor condition. It is uneven and there is no maintenance. If a player falls he may injure himself,” he says.
Meanwhile, he also remains skeptical about the current state of Indian football and its future. He believes there is a need for more Indian coaches to nurture talents at a grassroot level. “Today we have tournaments like ISL and KPL. Why not include an All-India under 23 side in them? Players can gain experience and a lot of new talents will be available for selection. We need coaches who can teach with their foot and preach with their mouth,” he said. Rufus was also of the opinion the Indian national team must play stronger opponents.
Meanwhile, movies like Captain had an impact in the following for the sport, Rufus believes what we need is a movie that shows why India is not a strong contender among footballing nations. “People are forced to root for other countries at the World Cup. Imagine the support India would have if they qualify,” he said.
Interestingly, Rufus believes crowd favourites Brazil and Argentina are unlikely to win the cup due to the tough European conditions. “Germany works as a proper team. They don’t depend on one star, they are all stars. They are a unit,” he added, picking his favourite to lift the cup in Russia this year.