John Abraham has
a Goal
Posted On: 9-01-07 -Courtesy: Times of India
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| John Abraham |
INDIAN football does not attract the glamour of cricket. But the Indian
team’s Nehru Cup success hasn’t gone unnoticed. There is one special
personality from the world of glamour who is greatly excited about the
football team’s success.
Bollywood hunk John Abraham surprises you with his knowledge of football.
Talking about Premier League and the Spanish League has become a fad but
Abraham is speaking about his Borivli coach John Alphonso at St Francis
D’Assisi football ground, the Churchill Brothers football club, Dempo SC,
Salgaocar FC, Mahindra United, Mohun Bagan, Mohammedan Sporting... This
guy surely knows his football.
It’s not surprising that he is ecstatic about Bhaichung & Co’s sensational
Nehru Cup triumph. “India’s Nehru Cup win was fantastic. It’s such a proud
moment. Beating fancied Syria in the final was unbelievable.
Huge boost
“It will give the game a huge boost. It was great to see football on the
front pages. Interest in football is growing by leaps and bounds.
“Cricket has reached its peak, but football is growing by the day and in
some time we will have Indian football heroes. It is such a visually
spectacular sport.”
Abraham is a Bhaichung Bhutia fan. “What Tendulkar is to cricket and
Dhanraj Pillay is to hockey, Bhutia is to football. He comes from a part
of India — North East — which is ignored and he deserves more credit.
In fact, he will make a great model. He is a visually brilliant package,”
said the filmstar about India’s football captain.
On a personal front too, for this football buff the Indian team’s success
could not have come at a better time. He has done a film on his passion —
‘Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal’.
“I used to train under John Alphonso (former Tata star). I played in the
MDFA league and captained my school and college teams. Football was a
career I wanted to take up but I was told there is no money in it…”
Passionate
Abraham met All-India Football Federation chief Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi
recently in Delhi and invited him to watch his movie. “Priya dada is crazy
about the game. He is very passionate about it.
He liked the fact that a movie on football is being made and promised me
to come for the movie when he is in Mumbai next week.
“We are getting to popularise the game and I am sure, Goal will help.”
If Shah Rukh Khan is a hockey man, football cannot get a better ambassador
than youth icon Abraham.