KOCHI: On October 15, when India was fighting tooth and nail against Bangladesh in the FIFA World Cup qualifier, there were three Keralites on the battle-field. The old war-horse Anas Edathodika was joined by youngsters Sahal Abdul Samad and Ashique Kuruniyan.
It was a throwback to the times when as many as five Keralites led India to battle and many famous victories. Not since the time of I M Vijayan, C V Pappachan, V P Sathyan, Sharaf Ali, K T Chacko and Jo Paul Ancheri, have so many players from Kerala played together at once for India.
That India limped to a 1-1 draw against a lower-ranked team - and any faint hopes of qualifying are all but over - is another story. While featuring in a World Cup is a distant dream, Kerala can take encouragement from that fact that Anas, Sahal and Ashique featured in a game of that magnitude. Three’s a healthy number to have as far as state representations go.
Kerala’s football graph is looking up - after a long time
In August, I-League club Gokulam Kerala FC beat Mohun Bagan to win the Durand Cup. The only other time a club from Kerala won the Durand Cup was back in 1997 when FC Kochin famously beat Mohun Bagan with Vijayan scoring in the final.
In July, Sahal won the All India Football Federation’s Emerging Player of the Year award. Rewind further back to April 2018 and Kerala ended a 13-year drought to win their sixth overall Santosh Trophy title.
These are recent instances which indicate that Kerala football is in on the up again - after a lull. “We can see signs that Kerala football is seeing a revival. These are still early days but we are seeing good things. It is time to take things forward from here,” Kerala Santosh Trophy coach and Gokulam Kerala FC Technical Director Bino George said.
Golden years
Kerala enjoyed a golden era during the late 80s and 90s when the Vijayans and Ancheris weaved their magic.
Seven consecutive final appearances in Santosh Trophy between 1988 and 1994 - with two victories; Kerala Police winning two Federation Cups and FC Kochin lifting the Durand Cup, they were the highlights of that period. “Such an era may not happen again. Ten to twelve players from Kerala would be there in a national camp and some four to five would go onto play. Such was the class then. Club football was also vibrant. Departmental teams like Kerala Police and SBT kept producing top-class players. It was the best of times in Kerala football,” former India international V P Shaji said. The veteran is among those who belonged to that era.
Those heady days gave way to a hiatus which engulfed Kerala football and sinks it into oblivion. Departmental teams like Kerala Police and KSRTC were on the wane. FC Kochin got dissolved, Viva Kerala followed suit and Kerala were left with no team in the national league.
“Those were difficult times for footballers from the state. Opportunities became limited because there were no teams from Kerala. Unlike the old times, there was no representation in the national team. Players from Kerala fell into obscurity,” former Mohun Bagan footballer Denson Devadas said.
Signs of revival
Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters are ready to kick-off their new campaign against ATK on Sunday. Into its sixth season, Blasters have managed to drive up and sustain fan interest. To some extent, they are also giving chances to local talent. Last season, Sahal took Indian football by storm and won the ISL Emerging Player of the Year award. It also catapulted him to the national team.
Meanwhile, Gokulam Kerala FC will get their season under way in November. Their Durand Cup triumph has already put Kerala back on the football map. A renaissance is brewing – one step at a time.