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The I-League has just begun but fans of Real Kashmir FC will still have to wait a few more days to see their team make a debut in the top flight league of India.
We had the chance to catch up with one of Real Kashmir's key figures on the sidelines of the launch event for I-League. 30-year-old Shahnawaz has a secure government job -- that of a senior accountant in Srinagar. He trains in the morning with the club and works throughout the day.
A pivot in the centre of the park for Real Kashmir FC, Shahnawaz Bashir gets candid in our interview with him and shares about his clubs' rivalry with Lonestar, his dream of playing for the national team and more.
Here are the excerpts from Sportskeeda's candid conversation with the soft-spoken Shahnawaz Bashir of Real Kashmir FC:
SK: How does it feel to be part of the first I-League club from Jammu and Kashmir? How is the excitement building up back home?
Shahnawaz: There is a great atmosphere as everybody is excited to watch our first game in the I-League. It will be exciting to play in front of our home crowd.
We are going to perform our best and try to win the match by hook or crook. Hopefully, there will be enough supporters in our home matches to enable us to perform better there.
SK: Describe what coach David Robertson's methods and how he likes to works like?
Shahnawaz: David is a really good coach who brings in his experience of playing in some of the biggest clubs in Scotland.
We always try to follow his strategy and plans and work around them. The results speak for themselves -- we got an upgrade to the first division because of his plans. They were really effective in all the big matches of the 2nd division.
SK: David's son Mason has also joined the club. What's he like?
Shahnawaz: He is playing really well and is bonding well with the team. He recently scored a goal some time back against Bengaluru FC B, in the semifinal of the J&K Invitational Cup-2018.
He is really helping our defensive line a lot as well as midfield and is someone others can rely on and look up to.
SK: There are only two professionals to play for India from Kashmir. What do you think are the challenges for J&K people in pursuing a career in football?
Shahnawaz: We have a huge platform now for the Kashmiri people whose life revolves around playing football. They have a chance to make a name in the national arena and may get offers from big clubs like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and ISL clubs. Earlier all this was not there but our winning the 2nd division I-League has given the Kashmiri youth -- who play football -- a lot of hope.
SK: How was your pre-season in Dortmund? Describe the experience.
Shahnawaz: Our youth team got the opportunity to go to Dortmund and are grateful for it. They had a great atmosphere there and they also interacted with a lot of players with whom they played matches with. This tour gave them the much-needed confidence which was evident when they returned.
SK: Does the local federation in Kashmir support football in any way?
Shahnawaz: The government is supporting us a lot. Firstly, the AIFF did not approve of the stadium we had in Kashmir. They have approved the TRC Turf in Srinagar now for our home matches as the construction happened in time. The galleries, the changing rooms were all constructed. Now the situation is good there and the stadium is ready for home matches.
SK: Your coach David Robertson has said that sometimes training sessions get cancelled because of curfew or snow or harsh conditions. Is it true?
Shahnawaz: Even if there are harsh conditions such as a little snow or rain, we train. We try our best to not miss training at any cost. The harsh climate makes things difficult but we have gotten used to it.
It will be a challenge for the visiting teams and their players to get used to our conditions. In January, the temperatures sometimes even go down to -5 or -6 degrees.
However, I feel this is going to be advantageous for us to play in these conditions due to the high altitude, cold temperatures, and breathing difficulties -- which the visiting players will have difficulty in tackling. It will be relatively easy for us to go outside and play away matches in hot conditions.
SK: Which was the most difficult part of your second division campaign?
Shahnawaz: When we qualified for the final round and played at the FSV Arena in Bangalore, it was the most challenging. The teams in the final round like Ozone and Hindustan were fully prepared and our wins against them were hard fought battles.
Initially, there was the doubt that we may not qualify. However, all the players kept their cool and stuck with the plan David had to emerge as Champions.
SK: Which do you think was the toughest match from the second division?
Shahnawaz: The 2-2 draw against Manipur-based TRAU FC during the final round would have to be the most difficult.
SK: What do you have to say about the rivalry with Lonestar and how it has developed?
Shahnawaz: In fact, I was part of Lonestar before as it was the first club from Kashmir to be launched to play in the I-League 2nd division. I joined Real Kashmir last year. The rivalry between the two clubs is just developing like the Mohun Bagan-East Bengal rivalry.
Even though both the teams are from the same state, the difference in ideologies makes some people follow one club while the others follow the other club.
Now we have become the only club from the state to play in the main division so Lonestars' hunger to fight to play in the top division will become more.
SK: How big is Mehrajuddin Wadoo in Kashmir?
Shahnawaz: Mehrajuddin Wadoo has a really big name in Kashmir. These are the guys who reached such heights that inspired us to take up the sport.
We aspire to become like him and play for big clubs as he did. Maybe even get a place in the national team like him. That is the dream for me -- to don the Indian jersey. Ishfaq Ahmed is another footballer who we look up to.
Even Subrata Dutta had a lot of positives to speak about the club and the state of the sport in Kashmir:
"I was there in Kashmir a few months back. I could see the enthusiasm over there. I think the participation of Real Kashmir FC could be the best thing happening to football in India. When I went there I could feel that football is the opium of the mass there. People really eat, drink, sleep football over there. Now, a team is there to represent Jammu and Kashmir in the Hero I-League and they can live up to the expectations of the people of Kashmir. If they can fulfil the wishes of the football lovers of the country and really perform well, I am quite sure that the young ones there would be immensely encouraged to come into the mainstream of the game. This will give an impetus to the development of football in our nation."
In fact, football fans all across the country are happy to see a team participating from the valley.
The applause when Shahnawaz and Nigeria's Loveday Enyinnaya walked up to the stage during the launch event was the loudest -- and is a proof that the club is loved by one and all. Real Kashmir FC is a story of a meteoric rise in no time -- reinstating the fact that sport is ultimately about belief at the end of the day.
The fact that the home matches of the club had almost packed stands during 2nd division matches is a testament of the love people have for football in Kashmir. One can only imagine the madness once the first division matches happen there.
The Kashmir-based franchise will kickstart their debut I-League campaign by playing against Minerva Punjab on October 31, away in Panchkula. Their 2nd encounter against Goa-based Churchill Brothers will be at home in Srinagar.
