From Canada, an NRI kid returns with a dream: to play U-17 football World Cup in India jersey

Sunny Dhaliwal with his family in Toronto.

Last December, when Sunny Dhaliwal, then 16, told his father Jasjeet Singh that the All India Football Federation was inviting online applications from Persons of Indian Origin for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the family had to make a very important decision. In order to be eligible to play for Canada, an NRI kid returns with a dream: to play U-17 football World Cup in India jersey India’s U-17 squad, Sunny would have to surrender his Canadian passport. Life had come full circle for Jasjeet Singh, whose teen years were spent dreaming of moving from India to Canada for better opportunities.

For Sunny, better opportunities seemed to be in India. Soon, the boy, who had earlier trained with Major League Soccer club Toronto FC Academy, was to submit his video and then, in February this year, travel to Goa with his father for the tryouts. Earlier this week, the strapping 6-foot, 5-inch lad was named one of the three goalkeepers in the Indian team for the World Cup. Sunny, along with defender Namit Deshpande, whose family moved to the United States when he was 6, will be the first non-resident Indians to represent India in football.

“I moved to Canada since my brother Kenny was settled here, and I thought of better opportunities. This was how almost every youth in Moga thought at the time,” says Jasjeet. “When Sunny told us about the talent hunt among PIOs for the FIFA World Cup, we just wanted to see him play in Indian colours.

He had an offer from the English club Bolton Wanderers, but he was keen to play for India,” he adds. The family knew that Sunny would have to decide on his Canadian citizenship in six months once he turned 18. They decided he would hold permanent residence in Canada but surrender his Canadian citizenship. “We ordered a cake that day and celebrated like it was a new birth for Sunny. Dil sadda Punjabi hi hai, chahe Canada ch vasde han (Our hearts are Punjabi, even though we are settled in Canada),” says 44-year-old Jasjeet, who runs a mortgage firm named Real Time Mortages in Brampton.

Jasjeet, whose father Surinder was a naib tehsildar in the Punjab Revenue department, decided to join his brother Kenny in Canada two decades ago. He returned to India in 1998 to marry his girlfriend Parveen, and the couple went back to settle in Brampton.

Jasjeet, a college-level cricketer, wanted young Sunny to take up the same sport. But Sunny, who towered over most kids in the neighbourhood, opted for football, and ended up playing for Brampton East Soccer Club U-10s before moving to the Italian immigrants-dominated Westbridge Soccer Club in 2011. He spent four years there.

Sunny, who studies in Mayfield Secondary School, also turned out for North Miss Soccer Club, and played an important role in the team’s march into the final of the Ontario Cup in 2014. “When he started, we paid close to 2,000 dollars for his training for six months. Later, it was his club that would pay him 200 dollars as match fees, and he would get very excited about earning this pocket money,” says the proud father.

In 2015, Sunny was approached by Toronto FC for their academy. He has been there since, training under their goalkeeping head coach Luciano Lombardi and observing senior team goalkeeping coach Jon Conway. He gave trials for MLS clubs DC United and Chicago earlier this year. Last year, Sunny was selected for the soccer diploma programme at Bolton Wanderers, for which he was ready to cough up 27,000 pounds — before the family decided on trying out with India.

Sunny’s younger sibling Robin, 13, plays for North Miss in the Ontario Development League. The brothers often watch videos of Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. “Sunny has been in contact with Gurpreet by email, and has followed his career. Football is becoming big in India, and the recent improvement in world rankings means the country has the potential to do well internationally. Look at Gurpreet. He became the first Indian to play in a top-tier European club, and has now returned to play for an Indian club. We also had a talk with the Indian support staff, and they were encouraging,” Jasjeet says.

The Dhaliwal family, who are busy building a home in Brampton, will be following the U-17 World Cup on TV. The last time Sunny visited India was in 2010, and the family is waiting for him to return wearing the Indian jersey.

Sunny’s mother Parveen works as a line supervisor with Cara Kitchen Services, a company that provides catering services at Toronto airport. “His mother has never worried about his travel and injuries. She knows that Sunny will enjoy his days in India. He suffered a minor elbow bruise earlier but she understands things like that happen. New doors have opened for Sunny, and we want all of India to watch him play for the country. And when he returns, the entire family will be at the airport to welcome him back,” Jasjeet says.