Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
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This is a podcast on Indian football under the curious name of 420grams featuring the host Arjun Pandit, resident guest Siddhanth Aney and this time I-League winning Mumbai boys Ashutosh Mehta of Jayesh Rane of Aizawl FC.
In this fantastically topical episode we catch up with Ashutosh Mehta and Jayesh Rane. As representatives of the current generation of Indian footballers, Mehta and Rane have benefitted from the rapidly expanding club football structure in parts of the country. Mumbaikars, born and bred, the duo had a tough decision to make at the start of the 2016-17. Khalid Jamil, former international and longtime coach at Mumbai FC, had taken the top job at Aizawl FC and wanted the boys to join him for the ride.The proposal was far from perfect. They would have to leave their comfort zone—a vibrant city, home, family, a familiar club—and move to a completely alien culture. And that, for much less money. In a Bandra studio, on a blisteringly hot Saturday afternoon, Mehta and Rane recount that big decision and take us through some major moments in what would become a historic season for the relatively small club from the Northeast.
If it weren’t for the usual last-minute chaos that is all-pervading in Indian sport, Aizawl would not have even been in the I-League this past season. Finishing second from bottom the previous season, they had been relegated from the top tier. They were pulled back from what could easily have been permanent obscurity after demanding they be given the same exemption that was extended to DSK Shivajians—who finished below Aizawl but were allowed to stay. They had fought for their place and, in Jamil, found a coach who would do a fair bit of fighting himself. Jamil, and the promise of regular football, convinced Rane, Mehta and Goa-born goalkeeper Albino Gomes (also known to Jamil because through Mumbai FC) to come to Mizoram. They were the only Indians from outside the state on the roster. Rane and Gomes played all 18 games of the season, while Mehta missed the first (fitness) and last (suspension). So this really is an inside view of life with the champions of India through a triumphant campaign.
The people behind the 420grams podcast say: Contrary to what the majority of you is thinking, this is not a podcast about marijuana. Although it could be, from time to time. This is your regular dose of the inside goings-on in Indian football presented by three men in a tub, with a deep personal investment in the sport and the country. 420grams wants to be an honest and engaging conversation space.
