In early January, when players were securing lucrative deals with top I-League clubs, Japanese-born Indian midfielder Arata Izumi made a somewhat bewildering announcement - that he will be joining I-League second division new-comers , NEROCA FC.
The decision was not for the lack of suitors. After all, Izumi, a box-to-box midfielder with an eye for goal, was in the prime of his career. "It will be a great challenge for me because the club is like a dream (for everyone from the state of Manipur). They (the club) are trying to make things happen for the people the club represents. I like how they think about football. I like their attachment with the people," he said, in a conversation with Sportstar then.
On Monday, NEROCA FC (short for North Eastern Re-Organising Cultural Association) clinched the I-League second division crown , beating Lonestar Kashmir FC 4-1 in Srinagar to become the first team from Manipur to reach the top flight of Indian football. For Izumi, it is a reward for his faith in a system that is fuelled by the football loving people of the North Eastern state.
"Individually for me, I'm happy that I could complete my job. But more than what I did or achieved, I'm really happy for the people of Manipur, the NEROCA players, coaching staff and the management. Their passion led us to this success, so I am really happy," said Izumi in a telephonic conversation from New Delhi, where the team will be halting for the day before going to Imphal on Wednesday.
With talks going on about a possible football league makeover, it still remains a doubt whether the current I-League will be the country's top division next season. But Izumi does not want to ponder about it, at least not now. "The management must be thinking about it but no one knows the future of Indian football at this moment. So we should just enjoy the moment. This is a fifty year old club (NEROCA was founded in 1965) and hence this a historic moment for the club and Manipur. The fact that the club won the title will give a lot of hope and motivation to the young people from the state," he added.
In a season where Indian football managers have shown their ability to compete with the very best, Manipur-born Gift Raikhan's success with NEROCA FC is the perfect sequel to Khalid Jamil's success with Aizawl FC. Izumi, who knew Raikhan from their Pune FC days, says the coach's man-management skills were crucial in the team's title run.
"He (Raikhan) is learning of course. But if you ask (Antonio) Habas, he will also say he is learning. In fact, if someone says I know everything, I will say the coach is not good. The best part about him (Raikhan) is that he doesn't have that ego. He is always talking with the players and we try to do everything together. His man-management skills are very good and is testimony to the quality of coaches these days," said Izumi, who has also played under Jamil for Mumbai FC.
Izumi has been securing his coaching licences simultaneously, and will be applying for an 'A' license in the coming months. But the player wants to keep hitting the field and said his future at NEROCA will depend on many factors.
"I can't really talk about my coaching future now but I want to keep playing for some more years. So it really depends on who takes me (laughs). That is how it is in professional football," concluded the midfielder.
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