Arindam Bhattacharya: star shot-stopper.From the legendary Peter Thangaraj to current India first-choice keeper Subrata Paul, India has had a wealth of goalkeeping talent who have kept the ‘Blue Tigers’ roaring over the decades. At just 25, FC Pune City’s Arindam Bhattacharya has already done enough to suggest that India’s goalkeeping future lies in safe hands. In a candid interview with indiansuperleague.com, an eloquent Bhattacharya elucidated the importance of hands in a game dominated by the feet.“I started playing football for my school team in my village Sodepur (near Kolkata). Initially, I used to play as a defender but after watching Oliver Kahn in the 2002 FIFA World Cup I had only one dream: to become a professional goalkeeper and represent India someday,” recalled Bhattacharya. The likes of the mercurial Ronaldo and the magical Rivaldo dazzled at the tournament but for Bhattacharya the German shot-stopper stood out from the rest of the pack for a rather offbeat reason. “It might sound funny but the fact that Kahn stood out from the rest of the team because of the different colour of his jersey really inspired me to become a goalkeeper,” the 6 ft 2 in goalkeeper explained, while praising Kahn’s “unrivalled bravery” and “unquestionable leadership”."There is no shortcut to success"Arindam BhattacharyaGetting the wholehearted support of his parents at the onset of his footballing career was a little difficult for Bhattacharya. However, his selection to the India under-19 team and a few mentions on the sports pages of newspapers were enough to convince his parents that football was the right career choice. The array of titles and honours he has accumulated over the past few years – I-League, Durand Cup, IFA Shield and Federation Cup and best goalkeeper award for the 2008-09 season (all with Churchill Brothers) – shows that he was on the right path. Bhattacharya credits former India coach Bob Houghton and ex India goalkeeper Debashish Mukherjee for his advancement as a goalkeeper. “After training sessions, Bob used to show me videos of the bravery of goalkeepers, which instilled in me the need to be fearless. Under his guidance, my penalty-stopping skills also improved. He kept telling me to watch the ball and not to commit myself before the ball has been kicked,” he remembered with gratitude.Bhattacharya has made five appearances for the senior national team but his training in penalty-stopping would come handy for the India under-23s during the 2009 SAFF Cup final against Maldives. He made two saves in the tie-breaker and India went on to win the shootout 3-1. For this and his earlier heroics he was adjudged player of the tournament.When asked about the likely impact of the Hero Indian Super League, the former Tata Football Academy graduate replied, “It’s going to be really exciting. Indian football lacks a proper youth development system. The ISL is certainly going to refurbish the youth system and revolutionise Indian football. The likes of David James playing in the league is exciting for us goalkeepers. I would love to meet him and learn from his experiences.”Bhattacharya has some sound advice for the aspiring goalkeepers of the country, “There is no shortcut to success. Just work hard, be honest and most importantly, never take your eyes off the ball,” he concludes.
