It was around 9 pm that Sandesh Jhingan returned the call. I had messaged him in the afternoon soon after reading his social media post. It had disturbed me. The pain was evident. The anxiety and frustration were palpable. Jhingan is mentally strong, and if someone like him was reduced to this, what about others? While we celebrate Messi with every selfie and half-selfie, what about Indian football and our own?
I jumped straight into the question, and for the first few seconds, Sandesh just couldn’t speak. Once he had gathered his thoughts, he started, “Paaji, I don’t grudge Messi. Or anyone who loves him. In fact, the Messi visit shows that we in India do love football. You could see that in every city. At first, I was happy seeing it—very happy. And then it kind of hit me. What about our own football? If we can celebrate Messi and spend money, why can’t we support Indian football as well?”
There was a pause, and one could sense the discomfort. He was finding it hard to speak. Knowing him well, I can guarantee he isn’t one to feel jealous. He doesn’t grudge Messi, but yes, he does feel let down by what’s happening around him.
“I will find something to do for the next few months,” he said. “Find some club. Figure something out. Some of the footballers will. But tell me, Paaji, what about the groundsman who sends his son or daughter to school with the salary he gets from FC Goa? The same applies to Mohun Bagan or any other club. What about them? If the league doesn’t happen, what are they going to do? And do you realise how many people stand to lose their livelihoods?”
There was another pause.
“Let me tell you something. You are a journalist. If tomorrow you are told that’s it—no more. You can’t write anymore or do your videos. All of this is taken away from you. How will you react and what will you do?” asked Sandesh. “How are you supposed to deal with it? We players don’t even know if we will see each other again. We don’t know what lies ahead. We don’t know if the league will happen. What more can I tell you? I did not want to put out the social media post, but then I couldn’t resist.”
By then, I was equally uncomfortable. There was very little I could tell him to try and make him feel better. The truth is, we in India love spectacles. We love our selfies with Messi. We will spend lakhs to get an autograph or take a selfie. While that’s totally okay with me, what is not okay is us kicking our own football in the gut.
Indian football is at its worst. The situation is dire, and there is no solution in sight. A club CEO said to me last night that, for the first time, he had started to feel that the league not happening was a real possibility.
Pause. Introspect. Reflect.
₹100 crores for Messi, no livelihoods for Indian footballers.
This, too, is a very Indian story.
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