'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Amit has become very popular with the kids
And how did you enjoy being the captain of your team and leading the boys?
In a lot of teams, you might see that the captain gets different treatment. There is differentiation between senior players and junior players. There is no such thing in our team. It’s not like if I’m captain, I will not listen to anyone; I take everyone’s views, incorporate their good ideas. I’m more like a friend. I don’t consider myself special because I’m the captain, and even my boys don’t see me like that; I don’t like to do that also. It doesn’t matter if the player is senior or junior to me, anyone with good ideas can come tell me things, which we will then discuss and use in the game or in training.
So would you say your captaincy style is more like Dhoni’s and less like Ganguly’s?
Yes, you can say, that I’m like Dhoni!
Did you know anything about American football before EFLI?
My only exposure to American football before EFLI was YouTube videos. I used to watch a lot of YouTube videos and I used to like it. I never really thought that I would get an opportunity to play, so I’m actually very happy.
I have also heard that you have a ground in your village where you can play and practice. Lot of other teams don’t have grounds. Tell us a little bit more about that.
Yes, we have our own ground, and I would say we are very fortunate to have that. It is in my village Auchandi, which is one of the last villages in Delhi, also called Happy village. All the children, youngsters and other villagers here have come together to make this ground. A lot of effort has gone into it as it has been made from the fields. There is no such ground available anywhere else in India. It is open 24×7 for anyone to come and play and practice, any game. 24 hours, 365 days a year, this ground is open. And it is not only for us, but also for people from nearby villages. It is for charity, open to all.
What about your name ‘Happy’? How did you get it?
I have actually had this name from the beginning. It was given to me by my grandfather when I was small. In fact, whoever knows me in India as well as abroad, 99.9% of them know me as Happy.
You have obviously seen lot of videos of American football in America. And I have heard that the level of college and school football is also very high. What do you think is necessary for the Indian teams to come up to that level?
“Khoon pasina” (blood, sweat), very high levels of commitment. You need a lot of hard work, we have to work on our fitness, our stamina and we have to be very strong physically and mentally.
How do you think American football will do in competition with other sports in India?
So far it has been good. There is some interest that is growing slowly. Recently we had gone to Hyderabad for the Pre-season kickoff. There we saw a huge crowd and all the boys were actually impressed that so many people came out to watch the game. All the boys were very happy to see the response.
How do you think the game can be promoted better in the country?
I think if the game can be taken in local languages, then I think it will do very well. If the game videos and highlights and other news can be done in local languages and spread, then people will come to know about the sport and about the teams.
From season one to now going into season 2, how do you think the team has improved?
There has been a lot of improvement I feel from the first season to now. I remind all the boys every time before stepping onto the pitch, about our final match, the way we lost by one touchdown to Pune. I always remind the boys about that match and we will be using that experience as motivation to do better this year.
What advice would you give for budding sportspersons in India who want to take up unconventional sports like rugby or American football?
I don’t think they should think about the popularity of the sport or anything like that. They should just give it their all and not worry about other things. Any sport can grow, like you can see with rugby and now American football. Eventually it can grown with sponsors and all that. So if you have it in you, you can definitely make it.
You have become very popular after playing American football. Right from small kids, to other players to even some EFLI management, they all speak very highly of you. What do you have to say about that?
It is nice to know. Through my life I have worked with one motto and that is ‘Hard work + honesty = success’. I truly believe in this motto. I just keep this in mind and play and I feel the rest will follow.
