Date:30/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/30/stories/2007033006242100.htm

Sport - Sports : General

A landmark for Nethaji Sports Club

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Three simple football lovers started the Nethaji Sports Club, watched it grow and were present on Thursday at its 60th year celebrations. Rich praise came from a select panel of speakers on the occasion.

The AIFF Secretary, Alberto Colaco, the day's chief guest said what impressed him most about the club was that it had a vision for the future. It is the lack of this vision that had pushed Indian football at least by a decade in Asia.

He said it was a happy coincidence that Nethaji Club's celebration had come at a time when the AFC Vision Asia team was in the city. He praised the role of T.R. Govindarajan, Nethaji Club's president.

Major role

The AIFF vice president, C.R. Visswanathan, who is also the president of the Tamil Nadu and Chennai Football Associations, complimented Mr Govindarajan's major role in the growth of the club. On the occasion, Mr Visswanathan announced a personal donation of Rs 60,000 to mark the club's 60 successful years.

He wanted the amount to be used for starting a Nethaji-TRG endowment fund through the Chennai Football Association.

The TNOA General Secretary K. Murugan said very few clubs lasted the distance that Nethaji had and praised Mr Govindarajan for the role in its development.

The Hindu Sports Editor, Nirmal Shekar described Mr. Govindarajan as a remarkable man with an amazing passion for the sport. This sporting spirit was what made people like Govindarajan and a club like Nethaji different.

On behalf of the AFC team, Brenden Menton, acting director, Vision Asia conveyed his compliments and also of the President and Secretary of AFC. Noting the club's progress, he said, "it makes us start our work here with lot of hope in our hearts."

Earlier, the club's coach Z. Mohammed Amjad gave a power-point presentation on the club's past, present and future. Special mention was made of the club member K. Sankar, the FIFA assistant referee and the only Indian to have done duty at a World Cup (Korea-Japan 2002).

Mr Govindarajan had earlier welcome the gathering but it was his two other co-founders — Vadivelu and Kanakasabai — who provided the day's touching moments with their few halting words.