If anyone can put a value on the space between dreams and reality, it would be B Prasanth, a budding football player from Karur. For nine years, he has dedicated himself to the game and worked hard to hone his skills. But an opportunity to further his football career is at the risk of going down the drain for want of Rs 1 lakh, which would give him wings to fly to Spain, quite literally.
Prasanth has been selected to undergo a month-long training in Spain, under the auspices of the football team AD Alcorcon. He earned this chance through the national football trials conducted by Football Plus Professional Soccer Academy in association with AD Alcorcon in Bengaluru in January, in which he participated and finished among the top three candidates. This opened Spain’s doors for him along with a 25% waiver in training fees.
In just 10 days, Prasanth has to leave for Spain, but a lack of funds may keep him firmly in place. He needs Rs 5 lakh to be able to utilise the opportunity he has earned. “I have around Rs 4 lakh with me due to my father and friends. I just hope I don’t end up missing out on my dreams because of Rs 1 lakh,” he says.
First steps in football
Born as the eldest son in a family of five, Prasanth's parents toiled away at the Tamil Nadu Newsprints and Papers Limited (TNPL) to support their family. Prasanth’s first encounter playing football came when he was a Class 6 student in Pugalur, Karur district.
“I was a part of the substitutes till Class 10 and was never in the starting eleven. The first time I made it into the starting team was when I was in Class 12,” he says. He practised in a private ground in Karur after his school hours with Lingaraj, who also runs the Elite Football Academy in Karur. “Lingaraj, a student of Loyola Chennai, helped me learn the basics of football at the private ground in Karur. We used to practise at night, after the school was over, for around five hours,” Prasanth adds.
Tasting success early
Winning the third place in the Chief Minister’s trophy football tournament in 2015 was a momentous occasion for Prasanth, as that enabled him to take up football more confidently. He then joined Karur’s Kongu College of Arts and Science for his undergraduation. Around that time, he met coach Kannan, who would go on to train Prasanth in a more formal and professional capacity. Kannan was the coach of Singapore's national football team and took special interest in Prasanth after seeing him play.
In 2017, Prasanth was once again a part of Kongu College’s team and won third place in the Chief Minister’s trophy meet held in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. This match helped him secure a place on Tamil Nadu’s team which competed in the Under-18 National Minifootball Championship held in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh in May 2018, where the team won silver.
Then came the opportunity to appear for player selection in Bengaluru, this time organised by Football Plus Professional Soccer Academy in association with Spanish football team AD Alcorcon, a team in La Liga 2.
Spain comes knocking
“I was one of the top three participants in the selections, which gives me an opportunity to go to Spain and train under the coaches of AD Alcorcon for a month under scholarship,” Prasanth explains. However, he adds that the scholarship of 25% does not cover food and accommodation expenses, which he has to bear himself.
“Spain is home to some of the best football teams of the world. I will get great exposure and can learn a lot from training there. If I perform extremely well there, I might get a chance to play in their team too,” he shares, dreaming about playing for AD Alcorcon. He also says that when he returns to India after his stint in Spain, he might also get opportunity to play in i-League and Indian Super League tournaments. “This is like an induction for me into pro football,” he says.
Nothing but gratitude
Prasanth owes his football career to three people, aside from his parents. “I am working in Elite Football Academy in Karur as a coach now which is run by Lingaraj. I also owe it to Kannan and Silamparasan, who have contributed a lot to what I am today,” he adds. While Kannan trained him for a year, covering skills and technique, Silamparasan is another coach in Elite, who works closely with Prasanth, helping him hone his skills.
Emphasising the need for aspiring sportspersons to be disciplined, Prasanth says that time invested in grooming talent is crucial.
“The time spent on practising must also be under the guidance of a coach. This is important because they can spot our shortcomings in the game and help us rectify errors. They will also help us develop skills, identify strong points and help us hone them,” he points out. He also adds that a sports aspirant must tune their food and lifestyle choices in line with their goals in the arena.
If you wish to contribute to this cause, please contact Prasanth at 7868841316.