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What's the story?
Kohlapur lad Aniket Jadhav has reached great heights since joining the India U17 squad, but kept his feet firmly on the ground, when he said how he does not want his father to keep driving an auto-rickshaw anymore.
Jadhav, who hails from a rather humble background, believes that he can support his family, now that he has started to make a living through football
In case you didn't know...
Aniket Jadhav was scouted by the former coach of India U17 team, Nicolai Adam. Born in Kolhapur, he was a natural footballer. The striker has made 30 appearances for the India U17 team including the three World Cup matches against their group stage opponents USA, Columbia and Ghana. Jadhav is currently in the I-League with Pailan Arrows, a team that has been started by the AIFF in order to give the young and promising footballers of the country an opportunity to play in the top tier of Indian football.
The heart of the matter
The tall striker, who has been in headlines for all right reasons, has set his next target. His next goal is to convince his father to stop driving an auto-rickshaw. Hailing from a lower middle-class family, Aniket's father, Anil had to work the entire day to serve his family of four.
"The son of an auto-rickshaw driver does not need to get bound within that profession," Jadhav was quoted as saying in Mid-Day.
The India U17 star said that he had even asked his father to leave the profession. However, that does not seem to be happening anytime soon.
"I told my father to stop riding auto-rickshaw and that I would support the family with whatever I earned in World Cup and I-League games. But Papa wouldn't listen," said Jadhav.
What's next?
Just like any other Indian kid, taking sports as career was not an option for Aniket Jadhav. He had pressure from his parents but got the deserved support soon after they saw his talent. Now, Jadhav's attention would be turned towards guiding his side Indian Arrows to a respectable finish in the I-League.
Author's take
Aniket is one of many football players from the country who have come from humble backgrounds, and have gone on to support their family through their profession.
