Alison Kharsyntiew, a football coach from Meghalaya, has always wanted to ply his trade in Kolkata. He has not just fulfilled that dream but also won the I-League this season with Mohammedan Sporting Club, one of the oldest football clubs in Asia.
What a feat!
“I’m extremely happy and excited to have won the I-League. This is obviously a great moment of my life,” Alison, an assistant coach of the Kolkata-based side told The News Mill.
The 133-year-old club has won the I-League, the second-tier national competition for the first time and thus they have been promoted to the Indian Super League (ISL), which is the top league in the country.
“First of all to have been associated with a legacy club like Mohammedan Sporting itself is an honour and I’m so privileged to win the I-League. I’m so much thankful to the directors of Bunkerhill for the opportunity,” he added.
Before the advent of ISL, the I-League used to be the top-tier competition in India. And this tournament continued to be one of the toughest.
“Yes, winning the I-League is so special. The level of competition here is so high. All the participating teams are so good. We had some tough games throughout but our boys stuck to their plans and played good football. Everyone worked as a team and thus we are the champions,” explained Alison.
This season, the Blacks and Whites have lost two matches. They were at the top with 52 points.
“There have been ups and downs. However, the management (Bunkerhill Private Limited) has been extremely focused at what they want. Their vision was to win the I-league. And we did it,” Alison added.
The victory has been possible because of the joint efforts of all the departments of the club.
“Apart from the management, the credit should go to our head coach Andrey (Chernyshov) who has done a wonderful job. His man-management has been exceptional and how he deals with the players and staff is very encouraging,” Alison narrated. “But at the end, the players are most important… they execute the plans on the field. They all played so well.”
Speaking further on coach Andrey, Alison said the head coach’s approach towards the young players has helped the team atmosphere.
“He would interact with the players a lot… sometimes individually and on some occasions in groups. To keep talking and trying to understand the players is very important for a coach, especially the young ones, to motivate and push them to bring the best out of them,” he reckoned.
Experiencing football craze in Kolkata:
Alison, being a Shillong-lad, had the experience of football craze in his home state but what he experienced in Kolkata left him awestruck.
“It was huge. I was like… My God! Huge gathering and thousands of fans were cheering for us at Kolkata airport when we returned from Shilling victorious. Their love for the game and the team is unmatched,” recalled Alison.
“We will never forget these moments. I truly believe that football is for the fans. And their support motivates us to give the best. That’s the relationship that we share. In the next match, around 60,000 people came to the ground to support us.”
He also appreciated the fans for motivating the team even off the field. “I have found that we get a lot of positive responses on the social media for our team. This is great.”
On promotion to ISL, he elaborated on the need to upgrade himself.
“Next ISL season will be great having three teams from Kolkata. That way it’s exciting for me. The derby matches will be great to play and watch,” he said.
“Football keeps changing with new ideas and tactics… I need to prepare for bigger challenges so that I can help the team. I am positive, we will do well.”
Another team member from Meghalaya has played a crucial role in this season for Mohammedan. He is goalkeeper Padam Chettri.
“Padam, our goalkeeper has done very well. In some of the matches, he was just incredible. With more games, he will improve. I’m sure he is ready for the ISL next season. He needs to stay humble and keep working… And hopefully, he will get a call for the national team,” Alison signs off.
