KOCHI: Last year, Liju V M was preoccupied with refereeing matches in the I-League 2nd Division. Now, he has returned to welding, a job he relied on for his daily bread six years ago. Liju is one among the many referees in the city and across the state who have been forced to take up alternate jobs to sustain their families during the pandemic. Since most of them were mainly dependent on tournaments for their income, the suspension of the same due to Covid-19 has plunged their lives into despair.
“Our lives came to a standstill during the lockdown and ensuing circumstances. We had to overcome it,” says Liju. He presently earns around Rs 750 daily to meet the basic needs of his family. The Keezhillam (Perumbavoor) resident adds that he hasn’t been offered any financial support by the Kerala Football Association (KFA) during this difficult period.
Sunil P K, a city-based football referee, has a similar trajectory. He is currently working with a Kakkanad-based company that sells optical fiber cables. “Fortunately, I had previous experience in the field which helped me get the job, else it would have been difficult,” says Sunil. The absence of football games over the past few months was a major change that Sunil had to adapt to.
“Refereeing helped us in forget ting our problems as we’re fully immersed in the game until the final whistle. The profession also met my personal needs without having to depend on anyone else,” says Sunil who had previously refereed tournaments such as the Kerala Premier League organised by Kerala Football Association before Covid-19.
According to Michael Andrews, secretary, Kerala Football Referees Association, tournaments in the state will gradually begin after the rules were recently relaxed by the government. “The U-16 tournaments in Ernakulam have already commenced, adhering to Covid-19 guidelines. KFA is also planning to start an All-Kerala league in the coming months,” he added. He further highlighted that those who have received the best referee award in the state are still not being offered any financial support or job opportunities by either the All India Football Federation or KFA despite their achievements in the field.