New Delhi: Standing on the sidelines of the field, he watched the man in front of him, stunned and shell-shocked by his own good fortune.
Ganesh Dalui could not believe that the biggest star of Indian football and the legend of Bengaluru FC, Sunil Chhetri, was warming up for a match just a few feet away from him.
Currently the masseur of Hero I-League champions RoundGlass Punjab, Ganesh had these thoughts running through his mind when the Punjab side met Bengaluru FC in a Super Cup match in Kerala.
He has come a long way to reach this point where he can rub shoulders with the who’s who of Indian football – his journey has been arduous and eventful, but he has made it with sheer perseverance.
Ganesh Dalui is not a professional footballer – he has never played football at the highest level. Yet, he is one of the key members of RoundGlass Punjab support staff. As the masseur, he along with the medical staff is responsible for keeping each and every player match-ready and fit.
Ganesh had once dreamt of playing football at the highest level, but life took him to another direction where he can be with involved with the sport 24×7.
Ganesh’s story is something straight out of a film script. He hails from Santoshpur in Kolkata, and has been working with RoundGlass Punjab FC for two years now.
He used to play football in his neighbourhood when he was a child. His father was a car washer while his mother worked as a part-time cook in different households. Ganesh started selling fish at the age of 15 in a nearby market to support his family. But that could not stop him from playing football. He used to sell fish from 5 a.m. until noon and play his favourite sport in the afternoon.
“Football will always be my favourite sport. Selling fish and playing football gave me happiness. I knew I had to earn money for my family, so I started working at an early age.
“Nothing could stop me from playing football. My hard work and determination have brought me to this level where I can boast of being part of a match in which Sunil Chhetri played,” Ganesh said.
Many years back, when Ganesh was playing football with his friends in Santoshpur, a member of the ONGC team had asked him: “You play good football… Will you like to do football related work?”
Ganesh had immediately said ‘yes’ without missing a beat and it changed his life forever.
“I did not think for a second and agreed. What else could I expect as an eighteen-year-old”, Ganesh asked.
An ardent fan of Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Ganesh moved to Mumbai and learnt the job of a masseur. He was a part of the ONGC team for 11 years. He moved to Mohun Bagan and was part of the club’s I-League winning squad in 2019-20, experiencing the feeling of becoming champions for the first time.
“I can never express that feeling in words. It was surreal. I was very emotional that day and couldn’t believe that I was a part of the team which lifted the trophy. I am very grateful and thankful to chief coach Kibu Vicuna and all the staff, who supported me every single day. I couldn’t speak English, but it made no difference to me or any other member of the team. Players, the support staff and coaches helped me every day to learn things,” Ganesh said.
After his stint with Mohun Bagan, Ganesh joined the I-League team RoundGlass Punjab FC in 2021 and completed the season in the bio-bubble. The next season, he was a part of another champion team when Punjab won the I-League 2022-23 title.
“I will always be immensely grateful to our coach Staikos Vergetis, football director Nikolaos Topoliatis, club doctor Sidak Dhillon, and head physio Levin Vinod and each and every member of our team who motivated me to work hard and improve in the areas where I work,” Ganesh said.
Ganesh now wants his two-year-old son to play football and fulfil his dream.
“I dream of my son representing the country someday. I am happy that I am associated with football in some manner and want my next generation to do the same,” he concluded.
–IANS