Messi-The wonder kid

The world knows Messi as a genius. But a genius himself will tell you that it is ninety nine percent perspiration and one percent inspiration.  Talent means nothing without opportunities. And this is exactly what has happened in the case of Messi. How many of us know that Messi, we see today, was once a very talented but a sickly young boy in Rosario, Argentina?

Messi was born in Rosario,Santa Fe Province to  parents Jorge Horácio Messi, a factory steel worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner. His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona from which his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883. He has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and a sister, María Sol. At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge. At the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. Local clubs were interested in him but were not willing to pay for his treatment, a condition which would cost them $900 a month. It was at this stage Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, came to know about this child prodigy and requested Messi’s father to bring him for trials at FC Barcelona. FC Barcelona saw the huge potential in him and decided to bear his entire medical bill for his treatment. This was how Messi and his father moved to Barcelona where Messi enrolled in the club’s youth academy.

Moving over to Goa and India, the question before us is what sort of opportunities are available to the grassroots footballers? Today, fortunately there are several training centres at the grassroots, 8 to 12 years old, thanks to the initiative first taken by Goa Football Association and now widely propagated by Goa Football Development Counsil. But then from here we need to identify the real talent and watch them grow. This is where dossiers on individual footballers must be done to see their progress in terms of passion, attitude, discipline, skills, physical growth etc  But these centres cannot be a substitute for the football academies. In Goa, we have just one football academy in Sesa Goa Football Academy. One is too little and to promote football in a big way, all the I league Clubs must have their own residential academies. It is only then we shall see a real change in Goan and Indian football.

If you want to see a change in attitude among the parents or guardians of the young footballers, the coaches and club representatives must talk and convince them about the potential of their ward. Parents or Guardians of young talented footballers cannot be faulted for urging their wards to give up football and concentrate on studies as they approach higher classes of education. All parents will definitely look out for security for their wards and only professional clubs can provide it, if they have their own residential academies from where one is expected to reach the senior team in due course.

There is no dearth of talent in Goa or India. It is only lack of opportunities that hinders the growth of football in India.