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Don Tshering Lepcha, a few of you must have heard of him and I am sure many have not. He is the captain of Fateh Hyderabad A.F.C., a club formed in 2015, which plays in the I-league 2nd division.
Don does not necessarily have a long and illustrious past but it is surely one filled with struggle and valour. After playing at the school level, he was spotted by scouts of Delhi United FC and given an opportunity to play there.
In an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, we find out all about him and his struggles, to becoming the captain of a club.
"I started playing in 2nd division I-league for Delhi after my class 12. That was way back in 2010," says Don.
"I stayed for a year at Delhi United FC, and the next year I got an offer from SESA Goa, where I had a contract of two years but I played there only one year. Post this I joined Royal Weindo in 2012 from where I joined City United. After that, I went back to Delhi United and stuck with them for two years before finally ending up here in Hyderabad," says Don, sharing the progression of his career.
The 25-year-old was very shy and afraid to say anything at first, keeping the words limited only to his professional career, but as the conversation progressed, he gradually started revealing more about himself and his personal life story.
Don has really faced a lot while growing up, and behind the ever-shining happy face, one can occasionally spot the gashes of his undying struggles.
"I come from upper Dzongu in Sikkim where both my mother and father work as cardamom farmers. I have five brothers and three sisters and providing for all of us while growing up was really a difficult task for my parents. I am very grateful towards god to have such parents, who toiled day in and day out to keep the family running," Don says as he gets emotional.
"I always wanted to play football and my parents were always aware of this passion. They were always supportive and allowed me to go pursue my dreams right after 12th. I played mostly for my school team but my visibility increased when I played for a senior Santosh trophy team in class 11. We did not qualify for the next round but I was the youngest in the team. I played only two matches so could not score any goals or make any assists. However, playing in the domestic league for Sikkim United during my school days gave me the much-needed exposure."
Speaking of how his parents still help him financially, Don says,"My parents always wanted me to play on the highest level. Cardamom farming is not a very lucrative business, yet my parents go to levels to save money and support me to build my career."
The boy from Sikkim is also extremely down to earth, he even goes to the extent of picking up equipment and ball bags after playing for a gruesome 90 minutes in the heat. A truly remarkable gesture by a man who has just become a captain, demonstrating the beautiful human being he is.
In response to his captaincy and how he is faring at his present club, Fateh Hyderabad, Don goes on to say," Everything is going well and smoothly for me here and it feels great to be the captain. I still have to try out the Hyderabadi biryani though. Maybe after the I-league is over I will try it out as we follow a strict diet during the tournament."
"Becoming the captain of the side when it is just your first year at the club is indeed a demanding task. Whatever the coach decides, we just follow it blindly. We have a lot of faith in him and feel whatever he says will be good for the side," Don adds.
The midfielder further tells us about the operating style of the club and his training regimen, "The practice sessions are a mix of endurance training and matches. We train for roughly two hours every day."
Being a relatively new club, Fateh Hyderabad A.F.C does not garner a lot of attention and even their home matches at RDT Stadium in Anantapur see the stands scarcely filled. However, Don tells us that the club is gaining popularity amongst the youngsters, and a bunch of children always turn up to watch their matches and cheer them on.
"The management has really done well to provide us such a good facility thereby ensuring everything is running functionally. The equipment provided is also top-notch and we do not have to worry about accommodation and transport ever, as it timely managed by the club authorities. A detailed analysis is also done for each player separately and this really helps us in getting tips on how we can step-up our game," Don says lauding the club.
Don does not have any other hobbies and literally is a guy who breathes football. If he is not playing it, then he is thinking about how to play it. Sharing his heartfelt love for the game, Don says, "I studied till class 12 how much ever there was to study, now my life is dedicated to football and completely revolves around the sport. "
"I have had over five years of playing in the 2nd division so I am actively searching for a 1st division club. If Hyderabad is to qualify then I will keep playing for them," Don shares his plans for the future.
Don is truly an inspiration and a very practical footballer. Players like him make the Indian football story so interesting. They are the real heroes, they will be the future stars and this is the essence of football in India.
