Kolkata :- Ageism in Indian football is not new, says Sandesh Jinghan. According to him, ageism is actually harming Indian football. The footballer who plays in the Indian team said that he himself has this problem.
Sandesh spoke about coming of age to play at Mohun Bagan at the launch of an under-15 football tournament in Mumbai.
He said, ‘In Indian football, the phenomenon of ageism has been happening for many years. When I played under-15, under-17, I knew that some of the players in the opposition were older. Many times I thought, maybe I’m not that good of a footballer. Because I have seen many running faster than me. Stronger than me. He understands football very well. Later I understood that they are older than me.
Playing against an older footballer can lower a footballer’s confidence. In the end, he thinks that it is the loss of Indian football. Sandesh said, ‘Playing against footballers who are two years younger is a big deal. Because there is a lot of difference in skills in the field. It can lower the confidence of a footballer. In my case, however, that did not happen. I believed in myself. Not everyone can do that.’
Sandesh thinks that this age should be stopped. He requested various clubs to come forward for him. Sandesh said, ‘Unfortunately, such incidents are still happening. Not only in football, but in all sports. All this should stop. I hope the clubs will come forward in this matter. Although Sandesh talks about different sports, this phenomenon is more common in football. A prime example of this is the Subrata Cup. There is a particular school that is champion almost every time. They were also accused of misrepresenting their age. However, no action has been taken in this regard so far.
Sandesh does not get a chance in the national team. He may not be noticed by the coach because of his growing age. However, Sandesh still plays domestic football. This defender is playing for FC Goa in ISL this time.
