New Delhi, Jan 26 Former captain Inivalappil Mani Vijayan, who conferred with the prestigoius Padma Shri Award, has dedicated the fourth highest civilian honour to Indian football fans, to the passionate football fans of India.
Vijayan is the ninth Indian footballer to be conferred with the Padma Shri after Gostho Paul, Sailen Manna, Chuni Goswami, PK Banerjee, Bhaichung Bhutia, Sunil Chhetri, Bembem Devi, and Brahmanand Sankhwalkar.
The list of awards was officially declared late on Saturday evening. Thereafter, Vijayan’s phone never stopped ringing. Among those who called him up to congratulate him were Chief Minister and Sports Minister of Kerala, senior politicians and government officials, top football officials, current and former footballers, and his friends.
But amidst the adulation and the limelight, the most adroit and accomplished forward of the 1990s hasn’t for a moment forgotten those who, on a daily basis, defy storm, rain, or the blazing sun to throng the ground for watching a game of football.
“I dedicate my award to every football fan in the country. What I am today is because of them,” Vijayan told the-aiff.com. “I am not sure how good I was as a footballer. But the love I received from the fans was the biggest achievement of my career. They are the people who are responsible for taking the beautiful game to this height,” said the man, who donned the senior India colours 88 times, scoring 39 goals.
“Yes, I am happy, extremely happy. You ought to feel satisfied when your services are recognised. I don’t know how much this award will help Indian football. At the same time, this may encourage some youngsters in some parts of the country to pursue football. If so, it would give me a deep sense of fulfilment,” said the striker, who once considered the heartthrob of Indian football.
Having started his national team journey in January 1991 against Romania in the Nehru Cup in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Vijayan remained the backbone of the team for 12 long years.
He, along with Bhaichung Bhutia, formed a deadly attacking duo that once instilled fears in the minds of many a defence.
The Padma Shri award is another feather in the cap of his decorated career. The scorer of India’s fastest hat-trick in international football (against Pakistan, 1999 SAF Games), Vijayan was three times adjudged the AIFF Player of the Year (1992, 1997, 2000) and was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna award in 2003.
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