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They say good stories always captivate your mind. And that’s exactly what happened when Gaurav Bora, Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Odisha FC, spent time with aspiring Sports Professionals at the GISB campus in Mumbai.
The interaction started with a brief introduction of Gaurav Bora by Gaurav Modwel, Chairman, India On Track.
How do you keep yourself fit and mentally ready for matchday?
Because that's what I always wanted when I started playing football. And I knew when I started playing football that you've to give up a lot of things. You have to cut off a lot of things. Friends. And sometimes you don't even get to see your family for a long time. But then the motivation is that you don't get to see them for a special reason, and if you don't give your best, what is all this for? So this is the most important thing.
So what was that one turning point in your life that made you believe you'd be good at Football?
There was one coach in BBFS. He used to trust me a lot, he used to tell me you're going to be a professional footballer one day. I never used to think about it before but after I got the opportunity with Pune Academy, that's when I thought maybe I can become a professional footballer. If I continue working hard, then maybe I can achieve a lot of things.
Do you think football facilities can be dealt with better at the grassroots level?
Yeah, like Yeah. Because I started playing football when I was 13 or 14, but for me, I got one of the best facilities at the age of 14. But if I had got at maybe the age of 10, maybe some things would have been more improved than what I learned at 14. For me, I was in BBFS, and it was like one of the best facilities. But if I had got at an earlier age, it would have been better.
You ended up winning the I-League in your second season with Chennai City FC. How was the turnaround for you, and how do you describe the season and the feeling of going on to win the I League?
That season, it was fantastic for me and for the whole team, because from Day one we were not really thinking about the trophy, but we were thinking about getting those three points every match. But after winning for the first six or seven games, that gave us the motivation that maybe you can achieve the trophy if you can continue to win the same way. And then, later on, you know everyone was so gelled together. We were thinking of winning the trophy, only after we won six or seven games together. Everyone wants to win, and if you win the league itself, it’s very good.
What would your all-time 5-a-side Indian team look like?
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in goal, Sandesh Jhingan at the back, Udanta on the right, Chhetri on the left, Baichung Bhutia striker!
How do you spend your leisure time?
I stay in my room, watch movies, play FIFA on PlayStation, and so on. And That’s life.
So how important is that fan culture for the overall development of a player?
It’s a very big thing for a club, and for players, those kinds of supporters who travel so much distance just to cheer you and of course on game days. Before game days, it helps the player to be motivated, to do more for the club. It’s a special kind of motivation for all the players if the fans can travel so far, so of course, they have to give something special to the fans, if they can.
What are you hoping to achieve this season with Odisha FC?
Of course, first of all, to get into the playoffs, get into the Top 4, and then to win the league.
You’ve played in the I-League as a Chennai City FC player, and now you’re playing in the ISL with Odisha FC. So what are the differences you see in terms of quality?
The difference would be 90 and 100, not much of a difference. The difference, of course, the sponsors, the video quality makes a huge difference. And the way you see the game makes a huge difference. But when you put the same on a similar platform for viewers, there’s not much of a difference.
When you scored that goal, you scored two goals, but the second goal, I think it came off a corner, and you put the ball in the net, in the last 2-3 minutes of the game. What were you thinking immediately take us through the next one minute after you scored that goal?
We were 1-0 down during the first half, and when we went inside the changing room, Pedro was crying, Sandro was crying, most of our players were feeling bad that this was going out of our hands. We were not looking at the East Bengal result. Our coach asked not to look at results.
We won the game, Pedro scored one, I scored one, and then the second goal. And we knew the trophy was coming to us. I went blank, I didn’t know what to do, what to celebrate. I went to one of the coaches, the assistant coach who always used to ask me “when are you going to score, when are you going to score?” In my head, I just had to go to him, and I had to tell him I was waiting for this moment.
Our main players were injured, Nestro was having a red card so he didn’t play the final game. Slava was not playing due to an ankle injury. They were sitting in the stands and all were very happy. And I was very happy for them.
Interview Credits : Adarsh Singh ( GISB )
