From injured physios and bitten defenders in
the Football World Cup, to India winning 10 matches in a row in the Cricket
World Cup, sports talk has been the pulse of conversations in social circles
for the past year. In the wake of the nail biting and exciting year in the
world of sports, I found myself in an interesting discussion with my friends
about sports in the global context and the scope of being a sports person in
India today. One of my friends in this discussion was Ryesh Venkatraman, a
professional footballer and avid sportsman. He spoke of how athletics has been
brought into the limelight in the past 5 years and how kids today have ample
opportunities to pursue sports.
Thinking more on that conversation after I
got home that day, I thought it would be a good idea to talk to Ryesh about his
journey as a sport person and know more of his thoughts on the subject.
Promptly, we met over coffee the next day and had a fun heart to heart on
growing up, careers and sports!
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“When
I was younger, my family and I lived in Bombay before eventually moving to
Pune. As a kid, I spent my days at the Bombay Gymkhana, a club renowned for its
social and sporting life. And I guess that’s what got me to fall in love with
sports ! My family and I are sports fanatics and we love the outdoors. My
younger sister Tishya and I grew up playing a variety of sports and our parents
always encouraged us to have a life outside of the typical school-exam-classes
routine”, he told me, talking about his initial interest in the outdoors.
When we got talking about football and what
he aspired to become as a kid, he laughs and says, “There’s actually a really
funny memory I have of my mom taking me for an aptitude test. The first
question on the test paper asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and in
response, I wrote ‘footballer’. As any typical 11 year old would be, I was
extremely distracted and answering a test that was not schoolwork related
seemed utterly pointless to me. So, I answered a few of the questions but after
a point, getting restless, wrote footballer… footballer… footballer in all the
answers and submitted the paper ! My mom was livid…”
He adds, “School and academic work never
excited me and though I didn’t give my future much of a thought, I always knew
I’d do something related to sports !”
Ryesh’s interest in football grew when he
started playing for his school team. As the captain of the Bishop’s School
Football Team, it was the passion for the sport, bonding with his team and
energy on the field that fuelled his desire to take it up as a profession.
Ryesh had his break through moment into professional football in his last year
of school when his coach, Mr. Ajay Chorge, asked him if he wanted to consider
playing for a pro club. “I still remember the conversation he had with me”,
Ryesh says. “Before I even heard the name of the club he was talking about, I
said yes. I told him that as long as it let me play football and put me in the
spotlight for a brighter future, there was no going back on my decision. Years
later, he told me that it was the enthusiasm I showed him that day that
convinced him that I was destined for the game”
Ryesh’s journey as a footballer started with
playing for Pune FC, followed by Bishop’s FC. Ryesh was also scouted as one of
the six in the country to train at the former English Premier League Club,
Blackburn Rovers. He went on the train with the Elite Football Academy at
Peterborough till he returned to India and signed with Churchill Brothers Club
in Goa, playing 1st division I-league.
Reflecting on his experience, his advice to
youngsters wanting to venture into the field of sports is:
1. Hardwork
and Dedication
Hardwork
and dedication pays off in the end. It doesn’t matter if you’ve failed. All
that matters is that you learn something, get back up and try again. Because
winning is a good feeling and winning when no one else thought you could, is an
awesome feeling. So never give up ! When I was training in the UK, my coach
came up to me one day and said and I quote, “Son, work hard today and live the
rest of your life as a champion”
2. Focus
Be
focused on your goal (literally as well !). Set a goal and go out of your way
to achieve it. If it means you have to put in extra hours on the training
ground or go the extra mile compared to your teammates. And also, focus on all
aspects of achieving your target. Be it your health, you technical know how or
your practise and training. A famous person once said that - The easiest way to
notice who the future MVP of the team would be, is to find out who reaches
practice first and leaves last.
3. The fire
in your belly
Yes, passion is
the most important. But when I say fire in your belly I mean that feeling you
should get when you step out on the field. Every sportsman should have the
thirst to prove himself/ herself and push every barrier and preconceived notion
in people’s head. That desperation to perform well and fuel to push your own
limits is the fire in your belly, which is vital for a self satisfying career
in sports.
Speaking on the scope of the sports in India,
Ryesh says “I haven’t been training all my life with the right guidance. I got
the opportunity only in my mid teens. It was late but not too late either and I
realised I could have benefited more if I had more time. But in the global
context, India is known as the sleeping giants of world football. There is an
increase in the number of football academies and football schools help you plan
a career in this sport. And that just proves that young talent and their growth
is being monitored.”
Towards the end of our discussion, with some
warm coffee in our systems and a lot to think about, we got up to leave the
coffee shop. As we were leaving, Ryesh said one of the most unique and
different things I had heard a sportsman say. “Sports has made me who I am. Not
just as my career or my future but as the person I am, and the one I hope I can
be. Not just in discipline, team spirit and leadership but in making my mark on
society, the way I know best. Sports to me, is the best way to make your life
better and morally sound, strong and healthy.”
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I went home that night, got into bed with
popcorn and coke and put on a live football game. And all of a sudden, I saw
the game in a different light. Say what you will about the ravages of sports in
this corporate age where overpaid athletes expect prima donna treatment, but
there is still something so unifying about sports in it’s purest form, where
athletes rise above themselves to touch greatness and in doing so, reminding us
that we all have greatness inside of us.
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If this story rings close to your heart and
you want to find out more about Ryesh’s journey, let us know and we can set up
a mentoring call for you with him !
About the Author
Aanchal Sant is a third year Arts student, pursuing a majors in English Literature. She has a keen interest in management and administrative work and is a part of The Potter's Earth team. She loves interacting with her peers to help them find their unique life purpose ! Away from her crazy and eccentric life, she loves music and dance and spends her evenings in the company of her white and brown weird dog, Boochie!
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