KOZHIKODE: When 10-year-old PK Danish swung his right boot and curved the ball directly into the net in a corner kick, viewers at the All Kerala Kids Football Tournament erupted into a chorus of oohs and aahs. The young lad had just pulled off a ‘zero-degree’ goal, an art only a handful of footballers across the globe have managed to master over the years.
Recently on January 8, Real Madrid star Toni Kroos had garnered widespread appreciation for scoring directly from a corner, in what the media called an ‘audacious’ zero angle goal against Valencia in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final. This is what the Kozhikode-based 10-year-old emulated at the kids tournament, which was held at Meenangadi in Wayanad district on February 9. He had also scored a hat-trick in the same match, and was recognised with the title ‘Player of the Tournament’ for his 13 goals.
After legendary striker I M Vijayan shared a video clip of his brilliant shot online, Danish has deservedly become an overnight social media sensation.
Calling his kick ‘world class’, football enthusiasts across the country are lauding the young champ for his skills. Minister for Sports E P Jayarajan personally contacted Danish on Thursday to congratulate him for the wondrous moment that has gone viral.
I M Vijayan elated
The appreciation Danish is getting is well-deserved, according to I M Vijayan. It is not easy to score a goal directly from a corner, where the angle is most acute. But this little boy easily nailed it with a perfect swerve, Vijayan said. “He has proved that he is no less than any professional footballer. We are looking forward to more such surprising moves from the champ,” he added.
Meanwhile, Danish gives part credit of his achievement to his mother. “When I got a chance to do the corner kick, I could hear my mother asking me to focus on the post. That was why I could directly hit it,” he explained.
The young talent will soon be seen in a Malayalam film ‘Aanaparambile World Cup’, in which Vijayan and another Indian international footballer Jo Paul Ancheri will play themselves.
A Class 5 student at Presentation School in Chevayur, Kozhikode, he plays for the Kerala Football Training Centre club. An ardent fan of FC Barcelona, Danish wishes to visit Spain for his vacation next year and meet Lionel Messi.
“Even at the age of five, Danish had displayed a keen interest in football. But as he was too young, we were unable to put him in a coaching camp then. But he was later asked to join the club after they recognised his talent. Ever since, he has been playing with his seniors,” said a proud Abu Hashim, Danish’s father.