*Becomes first footballer from Kathua to play in I-League
Ranjit Thakur
KATHUA, Jan 14: In a major development in Jammu and Kashmir’s football, a 19 year-old player, Jatinder Singh from Barwal village of district Kathua became the first footballer from the district to get selected for 2nd Division I-League team of Oranje FC, Mumbai.
It is one of the only eight teams to play 2nd Division I-League this season, slated to kick-off next week and is also the current MDFA Elite League Champion. Jatinder Singh signed a 17 month contract (Two football Seasons) with Oranje FC and began his professional journey outside Jammu and Kashmir.
His football journey started at a Kathua based club and academy named FC United Kathua, under the guidance of Rajinder Singh Bhadwal. After getting his basic football training in Kathua, he joined Param FC, a club from Jammu but based in Hiranagar, Kathua, wherein he focussed more on his technical and tactical improvements under the guidance of Arun Paul Singh. He also had AIFF Youth league exposure at Jammu United FC, Jammu and Real Kashmir FC, Srinagar.
Playing for Himalayan Kinnaur FC, HP in the Himachal League, Iqbal Sports and Novelty FC in the Srinagar Premier Division Football League, he was able to showcase his skilled abilities. He received much-needed exposure to competitive football thanks to his participation in leagues of such calibre in J&K and Himachal Pradesh.
“My football journey started at DS Heritage Scholars School Kathua, where I was part of my school team,” Jatinder Singh told Excelsior on phone. “But I have been in the professional game for the past four to five years, playing for various clubs across Jammu Kashmir and outside the Union Territory.”
“In Jammu and Kashmir, there is no dearth of talent; however, our infrastructure is not at par with other regions of India, like Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, and Kerala. If we compare standards with other regions, the difference is about 80/20, but if we make improvements to our facilities, coaching and grounds, we will be able to produce a lot of players in the future,” he added.
Speaking about his future goals, Jatinder said, “I want to play for India and ISL and my favourite footballer is Sergio Ramos.” The young athlete praised Arun Malhotra, his coaches and everyone else who helped him prepare for and accomplish this significant life goal.
Former Indian player and presently the member of the Technical Committee of Football Federation of India, Arun Malhotra played a crucial role in making the way for Jatinder in Profession National Football League.
Arun Malhotra told Excelsior, “Jammu region has a lot of untapped talent which need to be explored, I am continuously trying to reach out to these youngsters by providing them all sought of help, but much more is needed to be done. It is a significant accomplishment for this boy to be chosen for a professional league, as there hasn’t been a player selected for the national league for a long time, and this is the first time a player from a district has been chosen.”
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