‘Have confidence in our capability’
New Delhi, Oct. 3: The meagre family income earned by his vegetableseller mother often has Jeakson Singh worried but the midfielder keeps it away by focusing on the pride he feels in representing India at the Fifa under-17 World Cup.
Jeakson, a defensive midfielder in the 21-member squad, hails from from Haokha Mamang village in Manipur’s Thoubal district. His father Konthoujam Deben Singh suffered a stroke in 2015 and had to leave his job with Manipur Police.
His family is now run dependent on his mother’s meagre income from selling vegetables at the Khwairamband Bazar in Imphal, 25km from her home.
“I have dreamt of playing for India since childhood and my life has changed. I am looking forward to wearing the India jersey in this World Cup. But I am worried about the condition of my family,” the 16-year-old said.
Not just the financial issues, Jeakson had also had to face the disappointment of being rejected by the national selectors in 2015 when he was with an academy in Chandigarh.
But his indomitable will has brought him back into the India team for the U-17 World Cup beginning on October 6.
Jeakson joined Minerva, another Chandigarh-based academy. He then went on to lead Minerva to the national U-15 and U-16 titles in 2016 and 2017. then That led to them being invited to play friendly matches against the India U-17 team in Goa in March. Luis Norton de Matos, who recently took over as head coach, lost no time in picking four players, including Jeakson, into the India team. At six feet and two inches, Jeakson is the tallest outfield player in the India U17 Cup team. He said his side would show that they can also compete against the best in the world.
“People think the level of Indian football is very low, that is a wrong notion. We are not that low. We want to show the world that we can play at the highest level,” he said.
“We have confidence in our capability. We had gone to Europe for training and competition. They we played in a four-nation tournament. We have prepared very well for the tournament,” he said.
— PTI