Indian cricket team vice captain Virat Kohli, one of the four co-owners of FC Goa, made it a point to make his presence felt at J N Stadium, Fatorda as FC Goa took on Atletico de Kolkata in a gripping match. All through Virat could be seen engrossed in cheering his team, visibly on pins every time a Goan player approached the goal post.
At 25, the cricketer is quite happy with his decision of opting to own a football team in the ongoing Indian Super League. “After cricket, football has been the sport I have loved to both play and watch. I keenly follow the La Liga and the English Premier League and am happy and proud to own a football team, and that too FC Goa”, says Virat, who strongly believes that his decision to own a team is the right one as the ISL will pave the way for football to grow in India and will eventually help India qualify for the World Cup. Categorically stating that football needs to be promoted at the highest levels in the country given the games immense potential in the country, Virat says with conviction: “This is a sport that interests me a lot and I will do my bit to popularise the sport in India.”
Not willing to comment on the point of betting and other illegal activities that could eventually manifest, Virat maintains that the game should be played in the right spirit and that people should respect sportsmanship and not destroy a game that is just taking off in a new way in the country.
What about his cricket career?
To which Virat says: “Cricket for me will not last forever. I will retire someday as I can’t keep playing. However, for the future, I think investing in football is a good option as I love the sport, which is why I have started off young as a co-owner of a team.”
Kohli is confident that just as the cash-rich Indian Premier League has helped youngsters, the ISL will benefit a lot of youngsters including those who will be inspired to play the game with the dream of someday being a part of the future editions of the ISL.
Despite hailing from a different sporting background, Kohli has involved himself very keenly with team decisions, including choosing of players. “Since I am a cricketer my football decision taking capacity is not that sound, especially in key areas, but I have and will continue to provide my valuable inputs to the team whenever the need and opportunity arises”, he says confident that team FC Goa will do well for themselves in this edition of the ISL and even become one of the favourites this season.
“I wish to see the team scale heights and will do all I can in the long run for FC Goa.”
Ask him the reason behind choosing to associate himself with FC Goa and he doesn’t hesitate to say that he loves Goa and its people. “I totally love Goa and its chilled atmosphere. FC Goa with its young talented players is the same. The average age of the team is 27, and I am young too! This makes for the perfect combination and that is why I opted for this team”, he says adding that it is this youth combined with experience, the mixed playing squad that sees both Indian footballers, who have played I-league and international matches, and international footballers, with the crowning star in the form of legendary Brazilian coach Zico that will add value to the team in particular and the ISL on the whole making FC Goa the star team.
“The young players playing alongside experienced and international football stars will ooze confidence through the league which will take Indian football to greater heights.”
However, towards the end of the conversation he makes it a point to say that the experience of being an owner is different from that of being a player. “The experience is very new for me and requires a lot commitment. It is only now after personally sensing the pressure that I understand what owners and managements feel when players are on the field”, he says adding that, however, at the end of the day it’s a sport and anything can happen on the field.
“As an owner I will do my best and give the players constant support and motivation. I wish my team FC Goa and all the other teams the best of luck and thank all Goans for supporting me and team FC Goa”, says Virat in conclusion.
© navhindtimes
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