Indian football: Interview with Deepak Devrani, Indian Arrows footballer

In a nation full of cricket mad people, the ‘beautiful game’ of football is slowly on the rise. More and more youngsters are taking to the game, the I-league is getting more coverage and the Indian National Football team qualified for the Asia Cup after 24 long years. Next stop for the nation is qualification for the FIFA World Cup. This is the vision upon which the All India Football Federation (AIFF) founded the Indian Arrows club: combining youth development with qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

Date of Birth	10th Dec 1992
Place of Birth	Hailing from Uttarkhand, raised in Delhi
Height & Weight	5’9″ , 74 kgs
Playing Position	Centre Back ( Indian Arrows )

Deepak Devrani, 18 year old Indian Arrows defender is one of Indian football’s brightest young prospects, having been chosen by the AIFF as part of their mission to recruit the country’s best under-23 footballers. Deepak sat down for an interview with me recently.

Arvind: Hello Deepak! Thanking you for sitting down for this interview. So tell me when did you first start playing football?

Deepak Devrani: My pleasure. I was about 12 when I first starting kicking the ball.

Arvind: Where did you play football as a youngster (Any academy etc.)?

Deepak Devrani: I first started playing football in Nehru Stadium, New Delhi where my first coach was Nirmal Singh. Then I got selected for D.D.A. Yamuna Nagar where I played under coaches Naveen Khandwal and Ranjith Thapa. In 2007, I moved to the Chandigarh football academy.

Arvind: Tell me about the clubs/teams you have played for so far.

Deepak Devrani: Prior to Indian Arrows, I have not played for any club. Since the under-16 level, I have been playing for the national team.

Arvind: Sportspersons, teams and personalities who inspire you?

Deepak Devrani: Big fan of John Terry. In Indian football Mahesh Gawali and in politics Rahul Gandhi. These people inspire me greatly.

Arvind: Favourite Food?

Deepak Devrani: Home cooked food is what I love. Both my mom and dad are excellent cooks!

Arvind: Favourite kind of music?

Deepak Devrani: Depends on my mood really. I love Aatif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and the band Jal.

Arvind: Your happiest moments in life? (Football and non-football related)

Deepak Devrani: There are quite a few which I cherish.

a) When I got selected for the under-16 national team

b) The moment when I scored a goal against Lebanon

c) My team’s qualification for the second round in the World Cup qualifying campaign.

d) The recent man-of-the-match award I won against Dempo in the I-league.

Arvind: Some of your sad moments? (Football and non-football related)

Deepak Devrani: The own goal I scored against Saudi Arabia under-19. I almost died in sorrow then. Thanks to my coach Joseph Colin for retaining trust in me and providing me with confidence, I overcame the embarrassment.

Arvind: Your best goals? And your ambitions in football?

Deepak Devrani: The braces I scored against Lebanon in 2007 and the USA in a 2008 friendly. Also the goal against Bhutan. My ambition is to play for the senior national team.

A friendly in the USA

Arvind: Favourite sport other than football?

Deepak Devrani: Volleyball.

Arvind: What do you like to do for fun?

Deepak Devrani: I am a fun loving person and like to remain tension-free always. So I go on long drives with my friends, blast music at full volume and sing aloud, though I am not a very good singer :P

Arvind: Your best friends in Indian football?

Deepak Devrani: There are many. I spend a lot of time with Manadeep, Bikramjeet, Gupreet Singh, Vishal and Abhisake Das.

Arvind: Any superstitions before or during a game?

Deepak Devrani: I place my right foot first when I enter the pitch and pray to the Sun God before each match.

Arvind: Favourite place where you would like to play? (Stadium or city)

Deepak Devrani: Since I am from Delhi, my dream is to play Nehru Cup in Ambedkar Stadium because of its history. I yearn to be part of that history.

Arvind: Who do you credit for being what you are today?

Deepak Devrani: I am extremely thankful to God, my sweet family, coaches: My first coach Nirmal Singh, my best academy coach Naveen Khadwal, Joseph Colin for discovering the talent in me and my present club coach Des Bulpin who encourages me when the chips are down, conditioning coach Narayan Menon and my friends Ritesh Kumar, Pankaj Negi, Sumi Rawat, Arvind Mandrwaal and Mr. Aminul Aslam. But I still have a long way to go!

Arvind: What is your strength as a player?

Deepak Devrani: My staunch belief in God and hard work. I believe that through hard work one can turn weaknesses into strengths.

Arvind: Your weaknesses as a player?

Deepak Devrani: Sometimes, I lose seriousness in practice. And while playing in front of girls, I lose concentration (giggles).

Arvind: What would you have been if not a footballer?

Deepak Devrani: No idea. I have never thought of anything beyond football.

Arvind: Thank you once again for your time and thoughts.

A training session at Indian Arrows with talented coach Desmond Bulpin at the centre

Like his fellow compatriots Abhishek Das, Raju Gaekwad and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Deepak Devrani has a sparkling future ahead of him now that he is training under the watchful eye of talented coach Desmond Bulpin. Let us wish Deepak all success in his career.