Fighting against all odds, an 11-year-old boy from a slum area in Bhubaneshwar has been selected to get trained at Bayern Munich, a renowned football club in Germany as an academy football player for two months.
Chandan Nayak, who resides at Sabar Sahi slum of the city, was selected for an all-expenses-paid junior football camp to Munich.
"I am very happy, want to become a player for the Indian team one day. I really want to thank my coach," said Chandan.
What coach said about Chandan?
Family condition:
- His coach Jayadev Mahapatra said that his family was extremely poor but added that his fight against enormous difficulties should be seen as a sign of bravery.
- "His father had deserted him at a very young age. His mother works as a servant at various places and is able to manage the family. She has sacrificed a lot to ensure that her children are brought up in a proper way. Chandan coming from a poor family stands as a sign of bravery because against all odds, he has proved his talent," said Jayadev
About journey
- About his journey so far, the coach said, "The boy is a talented played and we spotted him when he was very young. He has been training with us for the last three to four years. In the last one year, we have taken him from some very rigorous training and used modules which we see in international clubs and it has paid us rich dividends. When he was selected in Odisha, he was the youngest (11). The selection criteria says that the age should be between 14 to 16 and being an 11-year-old kid he was not allowed but we asked them to give him a chance, he surprised everyone.
- "The same thing happened when he went to Pune. He surprised everyone including Sunil Chhetri, who was the head selector for this academy."
About Chandan's future
- The coach further stated that his boy would receive a huge experience once he completes his training in Germany.
- "He will be leaving on 25th. In Germany, he will be playing asides greats like Phillip Lahm. The best coaches of the world will train him. Around 120 students from across the world will be coming. The training he will receive there is beyond comparison that we can give him in India. It is a huge opportunity. He will create a huge expectation for the slum kids who play soccer today," Jayadev said, adding that his pupil has a similar story like Messi, who used to stay in an underprivileged area in Argentina before being scouted by Barcelona at a young age of seven.
Tags: Football
Odisha
Munich
Family Condition
