Sudeep Pakrashi:
Kidderpore SC, the CFL Premier Division team seem determined to qualify for the ‘Super Six’ of the CFL Premier Division this season.
And in a bid to build up a formidable squad, along with a few promising footballers from Manipur, Fahad Temuri can be one of the key men in the team this season.
The 20-year-old striker joined the team’s training held at Barrackpore Stadium a week ago. Team’s coach Souren Duta when asked about Temuri’s quality in the training, commented, “He looks potential, has good speed and impressive passing ability.”
Fahad however will be able to play for Kidderpore till the end of September as he divulged, “I will have to return to Spain at the end of September to obtain my visa.”
The striker was playing for Delhi FC last season. He played matches in the Durand Cup also. But deprived of enough match-time, Fahad obtained an opportunity to join a third vision team in Spain, Cillia FC. But as he joined the team at the end of the season, his agent helped him to obtain the opportunity to join a fifth-division Dutch team Vv Noordwijk.
While speaking to Parallel Sports Fahad revealed, “I had trained with the first team of Noordwijk. I played one competitive match for them. I also took part in a few friendly matches for Cilla FC in Span. Considering the improvement of skill I can say I learned a lot. You will have to develop your skill always while playing with the ball and in the process, you will learn correct passing.”
Fahad hails from a football family. His grandfather Shujat Asraf donned Mohammedan Sporting, East Bengal, and India shirts. His father Aftab Ashraf also was a professional footballer who represented Delhi in Santosh Trophy.
More significantly, Fahad was a student of the same school, Mamta Modern where iconic Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri used to study. “I have not yet obtained an opportunity to meet Sunil. I will be thrilled if I can meet Chhetri. I will ask his advice about how to develop more as a striker. But, I will also try to ask him a question that some of the Indian coaches have a habit of judging a footballer, watching his hairstyle or his state?”
Fahad expressed disappointment over a former Indian international footballer and coach also Venkatesh for his favoritism. I was in the under-20 national preparatory camp representing Indian Arrows for the last time. Venkatesh was the coach. He excluded me from the national problems as I was from Delhi and because of my hairstyle. He never judged my performance in the training.”
The striker has an ultimate aim to represent the senior Indian team in the future. But before that, he wants to gain more maturity by playing in Europe for more couple of years.
