Former India International Hockey Player Anup Antony has a simple motto. «If you have mastered hockey, any other sport is simple,» Antony said.
Antony lives through these words. He is now the player secretary of Konkan FC, a team in the BDFA ‘C’ Division Football League here. Antony took the step to start this football team more than ten years ago.
Fifteen of the 18 players are international or national level of field hockey players, who came to the club purely because of their love for football.
«In my younger days I was a football player. I used to play for my father’s team. I met many hockey players who asked to become a member of our football team. Konkan FC started with three hockey players, now we are a maximum of 15,» Antony said Sports star On Friday.
«A hockey player can adapt to football. Hockey and football is similar in terms of formation, planning and strategy,» Antony said.
«If you have mastered hockey, any other sport is simple,» Antony said. | Photocredit: Murali Kumar K
«If you have mastered hockey, any other sport is simple,» Antony said. | Photocredit: Murali Kumar K
Antony wanted to contribute to football and realized this dream when he started a football academy four years ago, BGF Sporting Club.
Hockey Olympian SK Utrhappa is one of the most popular names in Konkan FC. «I just love playing football here, but I can’t give it all because I have to worry about my professional hockey career,» said Antony, who represents Indian oil in the Hockey Domestic Circuit.
«If a hockey player this comes simple. It is the same concept – pass, make the run,» said Uthappa.
Vs Vinaya is the other player in the team who has represented the Indian hockey team. Noel Robinson, Mohammed Naemuddin, Govind Raj and Praveen Kumar are some of the players who have represented the Karnataka hockey team.
On Friday Uthappa Hero became a hat trick and flowed the 5-0 victory of Konkan FC against JSports FC. Konkan FC, the team to beat this year, is on schedule to reach the big promotion.
