A few months ago, there was talk that the Sports Academy Tirur could pull out of the Kerala Premier League. The SAT team’s budget for the league was between Rs 25 to 30 lakh per season but the Tirur-based club did not have a main sponsor this time.
“We did not have enough sponsors but the club’s committee members said there was no question of quitting the league because once you are out it will cost something like Rs 12 lakh to return through the KPL’s corporate entry route,” said V. Moideen Kutty, SAT’s manager, in a chat with Sportstar here.
And by entering its maiden KPL final, the players have handsomely rewarded the club. SAT, according to its chief coach Haary Benny, is the club with the smallest budget among the KPL’s super-six teams.
The club has managed to work on the people’s passion for football in Malappuram’s Tirur area and has focussed on the grassroots, allowing the local kids to think big. SAT’s story, in a way, is also a celebration of Malappuram football, the district which is the sport’s leading nursery in the state.
“Except for three or four players, all others in our team came through SAT’s academies,” said Benny.
The SAT’s committee also has some interesting personalities. The club’s president is Anvar Ameen Chelat, the managing director of the Dubai-based Regency Group, who is also the vice president of the Athletics Federation of India and Kerala Athletics Association.
“Kerala Sports Minister (V.Abdurahiman) is a member of our club, and the chief patron too, and also Sakeer Hussain, the Calicut University’s director of the physical education department,” said Moideen Kutty.
Now, as the team gets ready for Sunday’s final against defending champion Kerala United, Benny and former Kerala Santosh Trophy coach M. Peethambaran - SAT’s technical director – are aware that they will have to keep the team motivated after the draining semifinal against Kerala Police.
“It will be a tough match. We had beaten Kerala United in the super-six stage but they beat us 3-2 in the group phase earlier,” said Benny.
That evens out things.
“But when you consider the quality of the Kerala United players, it is a strong opponent...they have four Santosh Trophy players, we don’t have any,” he explained. “Also, since it is part of the United World Group, which also owns Sheffield United, it has strong international support.”
On the other ship, Kerala United coach Saheed Sankanmi Ramon did not even dream that SAT could clear the Police hurdle and enter the final.
“But that is football, anything can happen. Kerala Police was not at its best and SAT was at its best.” said the Nigeria-born Ramon.
He will just have to ensure that his players stay calm and devise a plan to slow down the speedy SAT boys.
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