Eyeing to make Gokulam FC the first professional club in Kerala
Text: FWD Media Photos: Various Sources
A household name in Kerala, Gokulam Gopalan has proved his forte as a businessman who sees opportunities in every sector. Setting a foothold in the film and hospitality industry in Kerala, today, he is the proud owner of Gokulam Football Club or Gokulam FC. The logo of Gokulam FC was unveiled by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and football legend IM Vijanan in January 2017. In a chat with FWD Business Gokulam Gopalan shares his biggest aim to see Gokulam FC participate in I-league representing Kerala and open up about his plans to enhance Gokulam FCs stature internationally.
What inspired you to begin Gokulam FC?
There is only one inspiration behind the birth of every football club in the world; the passion for the game. I have been following this game since my childhood and I have played some football also. It has always been my dream to own a football club.
Gokulam FC recently signed up a few high profile players. What was the criteria followed to choose the players?
We are looking mostly into the talent of the players. Kerala has several fantastic players in the junior level and we have selected a few of them. The potential of players from the state remain unnoticed in the national level due to lack of opportunities and higher level training programmes. Gokulam FC is offering both training facilities and exposure to them. We have also selected few senior players and some from outside the state and country. They will give a balance to the team and help us compete with the best in the league. I have given the coach full freedom to choose players who adhere to his game plan but I’ve also made some suggestions for player selection.
With Gokulam FC’s launch and the presence of other Football clubs in Kerala, do you think Kerala will soon enter in the country’s premier club competition I-League?
We had one round of discussions with the I-League officials regarding our entry into the top league next year. They are very keen to include a team from Kerala in the league to attract more fans to the league. We hope we will be in the I-League from next season. We are also trying to play the junior I-League from next season.
Being the first big business house in Kerala to get into the football sporting sector, you have already become a trendsetter, any words for others planning to get into the business of football?
FIFA has termed Indian football as a sleeping giant. The potential of Indian football is very high whether it is about talent or business. If they are given proper training and guidance, Indian football will soar high and definitely benefit the investors. Look at the last three years of Indian football, the major business groups like Reliance, Maruti, Jindal and others are investing in the game. We’ll have to wait a few some more years to benefit from the game. I am sure that it would be a lucrative business in India in the near future.
What is your take on the coaching style as well as the techniques and tactics of your team’s head coach Bino George?
Bino George is the one and only professional license holding coach in the state. Only seven other coaches in the country have this professional certificate from Asian Football Confederation. Professional qualifications are great, but the real laurels lie in successful matches and in creating a strong team. Bino has quite the track record of successful coaching to his credentials. He is a quick-thinking coach and a workaholic.
What impact would you like Gokulam FC to make on Kerala Football and the sporting community?
The fans have accepted us as their own club even before we appeared for a single match.We are in a nascent stage but, fans are expecting a great deal from us. They are giving us all their support via our social media platforms and in person as well. Gokulam FC is a team ‘from’ Kerala and team ‘for’ Kerala. We will definitely bring a drastic change to Kerala football and give an opportunity for talents from the state. It will definitely boost the football fraternity in the state.
Tell us about the foreign players the club is planning to include?
We have signed an Afghanistan boy, Badar Khail. He is a young talent born and brought up in UAE. Bino George has already seen the boy playing the game at Abu Dhabi and he recruited him to Gokulam FC. He has the potential to be one of the best players in the country in the next few years.
How is the training sessions going on for the opening match against Kerala Police on April 2?
We have started training on February 2 at Kottappadi stadium over the past month. Some of our players were unavailable in the beginning due to the Inter-University tournaments and later due to the Santosh Trophy tournament. So the team formation has not finalized yet. We will be completely ready for the competition by mid-March and we are looking forward optimistically to the Kerala Premier League football tournament.
Which are the foreign clubs that Gokulam FC is planning to tie-up with?
We have plans to tie up with a European club. We are looking into the chances of such tie up and have not taken any decisions so far.
What is your vision for Gokulam FC and how will this club be unique?
We need a better foundation for growth. We have so many talented youngsters on our team, who have the potential to be national/international major league players within the next few years. We are not planning for a huge amount of investment initially but instead to develop the team of youngsters we have recruited. The team is being given proper training and guidance to mold theminto the best players in the country and be players who are talented enough to defeat any rival team. Kerala has seen the collapse of two professional clubs from their helm in the last decade. We are trying to avoid such mistakes and make it the first ‘professional’ club in the state by understanding the meaning of ‘being professional’.
Are you planning any special fan-outreach programs?
We are using social media to reach out to fans initially. Fan outreach programmes are been carried out through our official Facebook page and a Youtube Channel. The club is now associating with several local clubs in Malappuram district by supporting their tournaments. We will start several interactive programmes for the fans in March and will reach out to more fans during our first tournament. We are planning to extend our reach through the local clubs across the state by providing them with technical support.
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