Today's CHAFF meeting was a packed and exciting affair. As usual our Thai hosts, Pailin and Unnop, served up some great food.
We had many new participants including the Nigerian professional footballers, Stanley and younger brother, Chijoke. We had the good fortune for the attendance of Shahnaz (Iran) and Yrjo (Finland) Mikkonen and their youngest daughter, also for the first time at the CHAFF meeting.
Shahnaz is in charge of Topelius House, the meeting place in Oulu for foreigners.
Isaac (India) was back from the USA. Kiran and Nageshwari (India) were in attendance today as also Ildiko and Ilari. David (Kenya) and Kamu (Zambia) were also present.
Stanley played for one of the greatest football clubs in India, Mohammedan Sporting Club of Kolkata (Calcutta).
Stanley first landed in Bombay 2002 in search of greener pastures as a professional player. Things did not work then as he was to play with Bengal Mumbai F.C in Bombay, (as he did not get permission from the Nigerian Football Association). He was going to play alongside the great Nigerian, Chima Okorie, in the attack.
Stanley tried to join Vasco, one of the top clubs in Goa and then he went to ITI (Indian Telephone Industries) in Banglore. Stanley thought my home town as a very beautiful city.
Finally he got the break with Indian Bank R.C in Chennai.
He moved to Maldives and played for Victory Sports Club and then went to Dhaka, Bangladesh, and then back again to India to join Mohammeden Sporting.
From there he has moved to Finland.
As a professional, he has to attend practice 10 times x 2 hours sessions every week plus he has to play the club games.
His intention is to develop his game more and more as he is a completely dedicated professional.
Presently both he and his brother have to survive in Finland on a very low salary. But they accepted this offer so they get s stepping stone into European football.
If they are good, they will certainly make it big. Some of us at CHAFF wish them both the best and intend to help them achieve their ambitions in whatever way we can.
As Stanley says, it is earning a living from football that he loves so much, as he enjoys this challenge
We, at Chaff, have to work out how we can help these very talented professional footballers who give everything for the game they love.
Today, they shared their love for the game with young Soda, the young Thai boy who is also a very talented player.
Soda, at the age of 14, is facing a very delicate time of his life. He is being pulled in many directions.
As he talked with these two professionals, it became obvious that to be a professional footballer, one has to give up everything for sake of the game - no girlfriends, no dancing around, no playing truant from practice sessions, and besides spending time in team training, a professional has to spend his own time training, training and training, and keeping fit.
Stanley had to leave early as he had to play a game. Chijoke stayed, as he is recovering from an injury, and talked at length to the young Soda.
about football, training and other related subjects.
Pentti (Finland forgot to change his clock (as we c hanged from winter time to summertime last night) - so he arrived an hour late - but the meeting was still in full swing.
After the meeting I went to see Soda play for his Tervarit Musta side. As Soda is recovering from an injury, and did not take part in the Friday practice, he only played the last 16 minutes of the game. he only got to touch the ball 3 times, one of which was a 30 metre left foot kick for the goal. There was not power enough in the kick to give the goalkeeper much trouble.
No comments:
Post a Comment