Nallappan Mohanraj
Interview ~ Atletico Kolkata Youtube 2014/11/05
Nallappan Mohanraj: I come from Tamil Nadu, from this village called
Gandhipuram in Namakal district. I had to struggle a lot in life. My family
background wasn't too good. My father passed away when I was a child. We
have a farm where we all work.
There came a situation in my life where I couldn't afford to study any further.
That is when I got a chance to learn to play football. There is the SDAT hostel in
Madurai. If I had to study there I had to play.
I went to TATA Football Academy but I didn't get selected. The assistant coach there - Carlton Chapman. Today I am here because of him, because I was very dissapointed. I had trained really hard and came from so far and stil didn't get selected. He encouraged me to play for other clubs and also sent me to the HIL Bangalore team.
I got a chance to play for the U-19 India team. I was also the captain of that team. After that I got called by Mohun Bagan. I have played for five years in Mohun Bagan. I have also played for the senior Indian team.
Whenever I go through a lot of struggle I follow Christianity in such times. I go to the church regulary. Before I go out to play any match the words that are in the Bible (SANS 121). Wherever I go to play or whatever I do I always read it and go because I get a lot of confidence from those words. I get a lot of willpower follow this before playing every match always.
A lot of people are contemplating whether Atletico de Kolkata will be a success or not. But I can assure you 200 % that it will be successfull. Because everything is done in such a professional manner. This was really required for the development of Indian football that someone came and does this.
Atletico de Kolkata is a really good team. We Indian players will get to learn a lot from this.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-57nKDygB6g
