Jeakson fasted 2 days when told to stop football
Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, who became the first Indian to score a World Cup goal, was so passionate about football even in his childhood that he did not take food for more than two days when his parents told him to stop playing the game and concentrate on his studies.
Bilashini Devi, mother of 16-year-old Jeakson, said she and her husband Deben Singh wanted their son to become a bureaucrat but he was adamant on taking up the game. "Jeakson was a topper and Amarjit Singh (current India captain) was second from class 2 to 4 in local school. We wanted Jeakson to become an IAS officer but he did not agree at all. He started playing from four years old. We have a small playground in front of our house and he will play all day, even forgetting to eat food," Bilashini told PTI.
"I remember once he fasted for more than two days for telling him he should stop playing football and concentrate on his studies. After that we did not tell him again. Since his father was also a footballer, we stopped pressurising Jeakson and gave him permission to play football," she added. Deben played for local sides in Manipur and was with Manipur Police football club. Two years ago, he suffered a stroke, which left Bilashini as the only bread earner of the family at Haokha Mamang village in Manipur's Thoubal district.
Bilashini, who was here along with his husband to watch India's matches on the arrangements of All India Football Federation, said that she had goosebumps when her six feet two inches tall son scored India's equaliser against Colombia on Monday to enter his name in the record books. "We had not thought he would score a goal but suddenly it happened and I was having goosebumps. We were happy thinking that our son played for India and even scored a goal.