Sanju Samson, then a skinny 14-year-old, curled on the bed in his hotel room, watched Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullum hammering a 73-ball 158 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first-ever IPL match.
I M Vijayan is amazed at Indian football's leap from amateurism to professionalism.
After his inspirational showing in India's AFC Challenge Cup triumph fetched him the most valuable player award in the tournament, it came as no surprise when the All India Football Federation named Baichung Bhutia the country's player of the year at their Annual General Meeting in Delhi on Tuesday. The India and Mohun Bagan skipper, who first won the award in 1995, is the only player after I M Vijayan to win it twice.
Bhaichung Bhutia and I M Vijayan were there, the fans too were there, and the magnet that drew them all into the Mumbai Football Arena for India's Intercontinental Cup game against Kenya was Sunil Chhetri.
He fought poverty. He fought racism. He sacrificed his football career for his family. Today, Varun Chandran, from a small Kerala village, is the CEO of his own IT company and a dollar millionaire.
Former Indian football captain I M Vijayan thinks Klinsmann's boys have what it takes.
I M Vijayan and Baichung Bhutia scored twice each in a 5-3 semi-final victory over Zimbabwe at the Afro-Asian Games.
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
Maradona's death resonated beyond football with sporting icons such as Mike Tyson and Magic Johnson paying rich tributes and recalling their encounters with the football wizard.
Chaubey, a former goalkeeper for big clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, welcomed Bhutia in the executive committee as a co-opted member.
'Except that the population was much less.' 'I remember my uncle and family moving away from the base of a hill whenever it rained for more than a couple of days without a dry day in between.' 'Perhaps the older generations knew if it rained for more than a certain time, they must pack up to a camp or to a relative.' 'As some of the interviews of the survivors on the Malayalam television channels show, the elderly people had a premonition a tragedy would happen, and those who acted on those premonitions survived.'
The benchmark for the Croatian former World Cupper may seem to be a bit high but Prabhakaran said it was "the technical committee's decision and is endorsed by the executive committee."
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Friday got a former player as its first president in its 85-year history with Kalyan Chaubey beating the legendary Bhaichung Bhutia in the election for the top post.
The body of the 40-year old, who committed suicide yesterday, was brought to Kannur by road and handed over to the Kerala Police at Palakkad.
Twenty-one sportspersons, including cricketer Virender Sehwag, footballer I M Vijayan and hockey player Gagan Ajit Singh, have been named for the Arjuna awards 2002.
Bhutia, one of the legends of the game in the country, said he did not understand why a central minister would spend so much time with the voters the night before the AIFF elections, though he did not accuse law minister Kiren Rijiju of canvassing against him.
The Phagwara side rallied to dwon Indian Bank 3-1 in the National Football League.
The Punjab team beat Indian Bank 3-0 in their opening match of the National Football League.
The AIFF again proposed the name of Jo Paul Ancheri after the versatile player missed out on the prestigious honour last year.
Among them are 12 from NFL champions East Bengal.
Vasco striker Marcos Pereira turned in a sterling performance despite suffering a bad head injury and was adjudged the man of the National Football League match.
Goals by Jo Paul Ancheri and I M Vijayan gave the Punjab side a 2-0 victory in the National Football League.
Defending champions East Bengal have only two points from three matches in the National Football League.
Goals by I M Vijayan, M Suresh and Asim Biswas gave the hosts a 3-1 victory.
East bengal suffered their first defeat in the National Football League going down 0-2.
The solitary point from the match took Mahindra's points tally to 13 from eight matches and JCt's to 12 in the National Football League.
JCT Phagwara romped home to a 1-0 victory in the\n\neighth National Football League match.
Second half goals gave the hosts a 2-0 victory and a semi-final berth in the Afro-Asian games football tournament.
Sunday Seah's goal enabled the Goa side pick a point from the National Football League match.
India led 1-0 through striker I M Vijayan in the 30th minute. The visitors, who controlled the second half, restored parity in the 84th minute through Choe Hyon U.
Besides vice president N A Harris, treasurer Ajay Kipa, all other newly elected executive committee members, and the six eminent footballers co-opted in the committee, except Bhutia, were present in the meeting.
'I am doing all this for the students of Kerala, and when they come and hit me, it is very frustrating.' 'My regret is that something that could set off for the future has been thwarted.' 'We have not changed the syllabus for decades, we have not accepted norms in education and technology is hardly used. Today's students are studying what I studied decades ago.'
As Chhetri celebrates his 31st birthday today, here is a look at what makes him stand out.
India's footballers and cricketers -- both current and former -- reacted with shock after Goswami's demise. The versatile veteran, a former India football captain as well as a first-class cricketer, was 82.
National football team captain Sunil Chhetri and Women's national team striker Bala Devi, were named the 'AIFF 2014 Player of the Year' and '2014 AIFF Woman Footballer of the Year', respectively.
The prolific striker became the first Indian footballer to score 50 international goals, in his 87th match, when he reduced the margin in the dying minutes as India went down 1-2 to Guam in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The All India Football Federation, on Wednesday appointed Portugal's Luis Norton de Matos as the head coach of the India U-17 team for the FIFA U-17 World Cup scheduled to be held in October this year.
Chapman was hospitalised on Sunday night in Bengaluru and passed away early Monday morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday graced Indian football's historic moment when he greeted players of both the teams ahead of India's opening FIFA U-17 World Cup match against USA, in New Delhi.
The 72-year-old, also an eminent Congress leader, passed away today after being in coma since 2008, when he had suffered a stroke.
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