He has already earned several foremost trophies in his football journey, including the ISL, the I-League once, and prestigious trophies like the Durand Cup and the Rovers Cup. He was one of the members of the SAFF championship-winning Indian team that consisted of all the young and inexperienced footballers under Sukhvinder Singh’s coaching.
Still, Arindam Bhattacharya, one of the country’s one of the most experienced goalkeepers, held his second I-League title, this time with Inter Kashi has been the best achievement in his football career! The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) in its verdict on Friday announced Inter Kashi as the I-League champion for 2024-25. The decision came out after almost three months of the completion of the League.
Speaking to Parallel Sports, the custodian revealed, “This is my second I-League title, and it is special, probably the best among the trophies I have won so far. We had to go through tremendous mental pressure for the last three months. It was a grueling battle for all the footballers during this period.”
He continued, “We spent almost sleepless nights during these three months. A new team could not become champions despite having garnered the highest points and reached the top of the League table. Everybody turned out against, and some moved to the court. Even the All India Football Federation (AIFF) did not stand by us. So, we were waiting for the final justice, and on Friday, our battle came to an end. That is why this title is special for me.”
However, when asked whether he would start mental preparation after his team earned qualification for the ISL, the 35-year-old custodian explained, “I have already won the ISL once. I will be happy if I can win the title for the second time. But my motivation is not only that. Rather, ensuring a place in the first eleven at this age, even though there are several potential youngsters, has been my motivation.”
When asked about the dearth of Bengali goalkeepers in the present time, Arindam added, “Subhashis Roy Chowdhury, Sandip Nandy, and Abhijit Mondol have been nurturing potential young goalkeepers. I hope they will be successful in producing quality Bengali goalkeepers for the future. But at the same time, I feel, potential goalkeepers of impressive height should be scouted and nurtured properly.”
