Football is probably the most popular and widely followed sport in the world. IIT Rajasthan's hopes in football lie on the shoulder's of newly appointed captain, Akshay Harikumar. VBC caught up with him for some exciting bytes.
VBC: Akshay, ready for Varchas?
Akshay: Yes! I'm really looking forward to it. Varchas is our very own sports festival. The team is on a high after our first victory last month, and we are eager to do well at home. The team is looking forward to playing against other colleges of the country.
VBC: What will be your team composition?
Akshay: Well, football being popular, more than 20 guys come for practice. It's really hard to choose, but we will have a squad of 16for the fest. In matches, we will start with 4-3-3 formation. We like to play a calm game in which we control the tempo and we rely on a strong midfield to create chances.
VBC: It is your first tournament as captain. How do you feel?
Akshay: Excited. And hopeful of building on the form. Nervous too.. (Grim) I hope the team can put in their all.
VBC: How have you prepared for Varchas?
Akshay: We had a camp of two weeks in December. The team improved by leaps and bounds. We are not training that intensely this month, but we're working on our weaknesses and on improving the chemistry, which is a big factor.
VBC: As Captain, how do you plan to select your team?
Akshay: In my opinion, I would first select those who are talented, but also regular and dedicated. I'd try to keep a balance between players from all batches, so that, not only will we put in a great performance, but we'll be laying the foundation for the teams of the future.
VBC: What are your teams strengths, and weaknesses?
Akshay: The strength is our defence. We have a solid partnership between the centre backs, Nitin and Shriyesh. We also have really good full-backs in Sumit and Shashikant. We can really play some good football and build penetrating attacks. Sometimes, we don't give our full energy in winning back the ball. I'm worried about that. It lets oppositions build attacks of their own.But if we give a focussed performance throughout the entire game, I'm sure we'd go really far.
VBC: Who are your star players, the Messi's and the Ronaldo's?
Akshay: The thing about our team and style of play is everyone works together, be it attack or defence. If you look at it in that way, we don't have one star, we have 11.
VBC: What are your expectations for Varchas?
Akshay: I... I expect us to win a few games, because, they have it in them to go all the way.
VBC: You're performance has been below expectations, so much so that even that doesn't remain. Have you been given the post of Captain at a difficult time?
Akshay: No. It's... The only thing that was preventing us from victory in the previous games was the spirit and desire for victory. Hopefully the win in the last match has ignited that spark in the team. So it's not really a tough time, as we're actually on a high, relatively.
Akshay: We had a camp of two weeks in December. The team improved by leaps and bounds. We are not training that intensely this month, but we're working on our weaknesses and on improving the chemistry, which is a big factor.
VBC: As Captain, how do you plan to select your team?
Akshay: In my opinion, I would first select those who are talented, but also regular and dedicated. I'd try to keep a balance between players from all batches, so that, not only will we put in a great performance, but we'll be laying the foundation for the teams of the future.
VBC: What are your teams strengths, and weaknesses?
Akshay: The strength is our defence. We have a solid partnership between the centre backs, Nitin and Shriyesh. We also have really good full-backs in Sumit and Shashikant. We can really play some good football and build penetrating attacks. Sometimes, we don't give our full energy in winning back the ball. I'm worried about that. It lets oppositions build attacks of their own.But if we give a focussed performance throughout the entire game, I'm sure we'd go really far.
VBC: Who are your star players, the Messi's and the Ronaldo's?
Akshay: The thing about our team and style of play is everyone works together, be it attack or defence. If you look at it in that way, we don't have one star, we have 11.
VBC: What are your expectations for Varchas?
Akshay: I... I expect us to win a few games, because, they have it in them to go all the way.
VBC: You're performance has been below expectations, so much so that even that doesn't remain. Have you been given the post of Captain at a difficult time?
Akshay: No. It's... The only thing that was preventing us from victory in the previous games was the spirit and desire for victory. Hopefully the win in the last match has ignited that spark in the team. So it's not really a tough time, as we're actually on a high, relatively.
(VBC applaudes AHK for his belief in his team. Every team needs a captain with such trust.)
VBC: What is your view on the facilities provided for football in Varchas?
Akshay: The facilities for football can't be better in Jodhpur. We have the best grounds in the city and have hosted the National Games. I think the other teams will enjoy playing on the ground. It has a fantastic surface and is a joy to play on.
VBC: Any message for the IIT junta?
Akshay: Enjoy Varchas. Support our teams. Because we have worked really hard for this.
VBC: Okay then, have a great Varchas!
Akshay: Hmm, we will...
VBC: What is your view on the facilities provided for football in Varchas?
Akshay: The facilities for football can't be better in Jodhpur. We have the best grounds in the city and have hosted the National Games. I think the other teams will enjoy playing on the ground. It has a fantastic surface and is a joy to play on.
VBC: Any message for the IIT junta?
Akshay: Enjoy Varchas. Support our teams. Because we have worked really hard for this.
VBC: Okay then, have a great Varchas!
Akshay: Hmm, we will...
