Amidst the football game that morning, I spotted him sitting at a distance and watching keenly. Apparently he had been doing this for quite some time. He was walking up to the ground every morning, Cremuth, my driver. I drove to the ground myself thinking why to bother him this early every morning. Little did I know that he was a football mad, like myself.
That day, when I asked him why he was only watching and not joining all of us in the game, he told me it was because he had no proper football shoes. "I have always wanted to play, since childhood, never could, simply practiced alone barefoot at home", he added. I stood there in silence for a long time. How things as small as football shoes could become a lifelong regret. How many such people are out there who could have done wonders for Indian Football. How many such kids are still there, somewhere, sitting outside a football ground, and simply looking, for want of shoes. There are plenty in North East, I vouch for that.
Yesterday, I got him a pair of football boots. He played today. Way better control over the ball than mine. Sigh.
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