Abhijit Sarkar’s journey so far has been one which once again shows us how passion and hardwork get you past all of life’s hardships. Abhijit is a star striker in India U-17 team. From Bandel, West Bengal, Abhijit took the arena by storm after his impressive performances for India during their European tour, where he bagged a special goal against Italy XI.
Football superstars like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr and many more have donned the prestigious No 10 jersey in the past and present and it has become a norm of the best performers of the team to wear the No 10. With the FIFA U-17 World Cup, knocking at the door, football fans around the country would be looking up to India’s Abhijit Sarkar as he has been handed the No.10 Jersey carrying a billion dreams on his shoulders. The No 10 Jersey has been handed out to him because of impressive performances in the exposure tours, India travelled across the last two years. With a goal against an Italian youth team and six goals against Botswana, Abhijit Sarkar has rightfully earned the prestigious Jersey number. He earlier donned the No.12 and No.17 kits. Here is a short video of him talking about his journey so far and his aspirations for the national team:
Abhijit Sarkar’s family is like most families of rural India and in the surburbs find it hard to manage to through their daily living, earning far less than what a family should. His father earns by pulling van rickshaws and his mother works at a local grocery shop as a cheap cigarette binder but that also didn’t stopped them from supporting their child’s dream of playing football for the country and now all their hardwork is being repaid as now he’ll represent the county for the most famous football event in the world. He is a fan of India Super League side ATK and is a follower of the Spanish giants Real Madrid. Abhijit Sarkar would be the main play maker for India in the U-17 World Cup 2017.
Meanwhile, with just less than few hours remaining before the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the Indian team trains in New Delhi. It’s a functional but unremarkable venue, hard to find, dwarfed by unfinished apartment high rises. The story of the Indian team’s journey to the World Cup is one filled with tales. It is a tale of perseverance and pushing on against the odds and history. But it is also a story in which chance, as much as anything else, has played a crucial role.
It is a journey that very likely appeared to have been stillborn. India have not competed in 77 World Cups prior to the 2017 edition, of any age group or gender. They have qualified for this edition by virtue of being hosts. That too wasn’t an assured prospect.
