Health or selection , how should the coin toss? The story of Brendon Fernandes.....

Sometimes, it is just not the hand that rocks the cradle that rules the world. It is the baby in the cot who does the musings unaware of what is ruling the head of the  hand that sometimes even thinks of pulling the rug under the carpet. Brendon Fernandes is one such person. He is not a baby anymore. But at 19, he has already traversed paths that most Indian footballers have not. And, he is raring to go further- to a point the sport has not yet discovered.

Brendon shot into the limelight as a footballer many monsoons ago. He has played for India in all age groups right  as a under- 13 to  19. He recently participated in the camp to select the Indian under- 23 team for the Asia Cup but, failed to make it. Excuses flew thick and fast. The truth was- a niggling hip  injury problem disabled him to perform to his potential.

Brendon starred for India during the Lusofonia games. He was injured then and has been injured ever since.” I even went to Scotland for a team selection but the injury did me no good. I failed in the selection.” Brendon’s injury  raises the question ,what happens to our future stars when injury predates them? Where do they go? Who mentors them ? Or , like many things in life, are they to be forgotten once the game is over?

“ There are ways of looking at it. If the injury took place during an AIFF camp it is the responsibility of AIFF. If the injury took place with a club it is the responsibility of the club. But most importantly , especially in a country like India , a player should see whether he is fit to join a camp or not. Many  a times they attend camps  with injuries  and actually end up harming themselves more . You cannot log your body more than it can take’” says Dr Rufino Monteiro , chairman of the Goa  Football Development Council (GFDC).

“Brendon is a known footballer but football is not cricket. The BCCI can afford to give their stars best treatment. But , the AIFF is not BCCI. It is not a rich organisation  and football or sports is yet to be looked at professionally in India. We still have to catch up with Europe. It will take time because it is achievable”, stated the GFDC chairman.

Brendon was selected to represent India at the Lusofonia games after his father Janju Fernandes signed an undertaking that his son  would not claim for his air fare reimbursements from South Africa.” I paid for my sons ticket from South Africa  where he was attending a camp. It was only after I gave an undertaking that he would not claim for his ticket that he was selected”, stated janju Fernandes. “ Now he is not being selected,” he stated fumingly.

“I was told that he was not selected because he was not playing for any club in the country. How can this be true’” he pondered. “ That was not the reason. I know from sources in the AIFF that he was not selected due to his performance on account of  his injury,” stated Savio  Messias presently with a technical committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

Health is paramount. Especially for a player with the finesse that Brendon has. To over stretch should not be the outreach of such classy players. Like they say, a failure once can be a jumping stone to greater success!