TFM presents Chitty Chats with Mangesh Shinde

TFM presents Chitty Chats with Mangesh Shinde

Manager and player at Chetak FC, Mangesh Shinde loves to talk football. There is a sparkle in his eye as he gets ready to discuss his passion. He shares with The Football Mind, a few of his thoughts on the meaning of football, the state of Indian football, and his concern for the dying sport that is slowly being revived in India. Read on to know more.

Even before we start discussing the game with regard to India, Please tell us What does football mean to you ?

Football for me is not a mere game. Football has given me a lot, right from the beginning when I started playing. It has taught me a lot in life. So I can say is that atleast for me, football is a way of life.

What does football in India give to its players?

There are no second thoughts in my mind when I say that the state of Indian football is really really bad. I've attended I-League matches and also matches where local clubs are involved. I have never seen a crowd of more than 500 people, granted that the North Eastern Clubs have better fans and have a huge crowd to support them; But other than that, The Enthusiasm at a legit football match is only confined to the pitch and not the stands.

So how do you think Football in India should improve?

The overall infrastructure needs to change with Indian Football, we should have more pitches to play on, more academies pulling in funds so that the players can train.

Our Elite division doesn't have the best of pitches how do you suppose that we can have better pitches for local clubs? Something ought to be done about this.

What are your thoughts about the ISL? Your thoughts about the 'old' players?

With all the glamour, the Marquee players, I'd definitely say that it is something better than nothing. I was shocked when I saw a football stadium packed with supporters. Yes, most of these youngsters attend the games for catching a glimpse of their favorite superstars from Bollywood since they own the teams, but that is profitable for the game itself. Indian professionals are finally getting the exposure that they have deserved because of the ISL.

Yes, the players are old but don't you think if you get the chance to watch legends like Del Piero, Trezeguet, Pires, Anelka, Ljungberg, Garcia, Elano, Materazzi, Capdevila, Silvestre and David James in your own backyard; We've grown up idolizing these players, Why would you miss such an opportunity? They are definitely bringing the quality to Indian football.

You play for a professional club, Would you like to share your experience as a player?

Yes, I play for a club called Chetak FC. I've been playing with club for six years now. I'm also the caretaker of the club. We play in the Super division of the PDFA.

Did you think that being a professional football would be feasible when you started playing football?

Even today I feel being a professional football player in India is not at all feasible. We have such a bad infrastructure that only a very lucky few can actually live off as professional footballers. It's been a decade since I've been a professional but I've never once in my life had the opportunity to even think that I could carve a career out of playing. 10 years is a long time. I'm really lucky that I am still playing professionally and also handling a club.

That being said, how did you come up with the concept of turf 29?

A friend of mine once invited me to play a game on a new astroturf pitch in Mumbai. I was really amazed. Me and my partners thought that this could work in Pune as well, so we invested in a pitch and now playing on astroturfs in Pune is a reality with so many pitches being set up. Definitely beneficial for people who still want to play but cannot because of work/college. Hence, the concept.

Do you think that the sudden surge of AstroTurfs cropping up all over the nation would help Football in general?

Firstly, playing on a rubber pitch and a grass pitch are two different things. So players wanting to play professionally shouldn't look at astroturfs for practice. I think this will be more beneficial to the Futsal movement(5-a-side) that has gained popularity. If you look at it from the football perspective, yes the popularity will increase but as I have mentioned earlier, for football to bloom in this nation we are definitely going to need better stadiums to play in. The Parent sport itself should be nurtured rather than giving more attention to Futsal.

The sport has seen a sudden rise in the number of scout visits to India. Will Scouting help Indian football?

On one hand we have a lack of grounds to play on, but on the other we have talented youngsters. Scouting alone cannot help the state of the sport but yes it can put a different perspective in front of the aspiring youngsters in India. Connections with the right people will help youngsters get into youth-academies of European Clubs which in turn will increase their chances of playing professionally outside the country. I think you guys at the TFM are doing a great job by bringing in the network for aspiring players and enthusiasts in India.

But one thing that needs immediate attention is that the AIFF should target the youngsters at the grass-root level so that we are nurtured right from childhood and that in-turn will get us more following for the game.

"The only hope for India can be the ISL and rebranding of the actual elite league of the country."

Thoughts on Shinde

A candid chat with Shinde reveals much about his determination to pursue several avenues. Since his days of being a humble player, he has recognized the need for football to be played out as more than a sport. There is an urgent need for exposure, and a player today is not merely a player. He is also an advertiser, an organizer, promoter, and spectator of his own game. 

Mangesh Shinde realizes the need for players to not be spectators in their own game, secluded in their own little Indian community. As manager of Chetak FC, there is an added pressure to perform, as well as play out his ambitions. Shinde is trying hard, like any other player true to his game, to bring football into prominence in the Indian context. There isn't a day he isn't thinking, breathing or living football, and from the looks of it, he will continue on his determined path. We wish him success in his endeavors.