Barun Oraon can be one of the examples in Kolkata’s football fraternity, especially for those who seem to be thinking of quitting playing professional football out of depression. 

The central defender of Mamoni & Ashiyana Pathachakra started playing the game in 2000. He has not donned shirts of Kolkata’s three big teams. He has not yet been offered by any I-League or any ISL team. He has the only feather of donning the under-21 Bengal team's jersey. He has not yet earned the feather of representing the senior Bengal team in the prestigious Santosh Trophy. 

More significantly, Barun Oraon was compelled to quit the game in 2019 after Covid-19 and the pandemic hit. But he did not sit idle. He took up coaching at a coaching center. 

Still, football finally did not leave him. Even at the age of 35 years, after three years Barun returned to the field this season, representing Pathachakra in the CFL Premier Division. 

Barun recalled, “Tremendous mental support and encouragement mainly from United Sports director Nabab Bhattacharya, also the owner of Pathachakra and Pathachakra’s coach Lal Kamal Bhowmick helped me to return to the field this season.”

Barun added, “Another factor played an instrumental role in motivating me that I wanted to revive the respect of Pathachakra. I was one of the team members who once won the First Division league unbeaten and today it was painful for me to see the team playing in the relegation phase CFL Premier Division. So, I thought of playing again and I got the mental support from Nabab Bhattacharya and Lal Kamal." 

Simultaneously, Barun recalled those like Snehashish Chakrabarty, and Sukhen Dey, with whom he once played competitive football. He revealed, “All of them induced the belief that I can deliver my best even at this age. Even, Steve Herbots inspired me saying that working harder will help me to regain rhythm and form. I have been trying to follow his advice meticulously." 

Barun also has started coaching. He guides some under-17 boys at a coaching center at Simurali. The resident of Sodepur, North 24 Parganas, has a desire to continue the game for a couple of years more, and then he would like to take up full-time coaching seriously.