The Aima-TFA Shield all-India knockout tournament which concluded at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai last weekend saw football lovers turn up in droves.

The organisers were caught completely unawares by the thick attendance that was seen during the ICF-Kerala Police final. The All Indian Malayalee Association’s organising secretary, E.C. Praveen, was upbeat with the positive response the tournament managed to receive.

“It was heartening to see an entire section of the stadium being taken up by the audience during the final. The crowd wasn’t bad during the earlier stages of the event either. It just goes to show that Chennai public appreciate good football and would come over to watch quality contests,” said Praveen.

Praveen added that his organisation would continue to back the TFA Shield which was reinstated after a gap of 15 years, “We are already looking forward to next year’s competition. In future, the plan is to rope in bigger clubs from major states such as Bengal and Goa. We will put in a lot more effort and make sure it only gets bigger and better in the coming years,” he said.

Another aspect of the tournament that was worth mentioning was the punctuality. Normally, matches during the CFA league begin beyond the stipulated kick-off time presenting considerable hardship to the scribes and photographers who are trying to meet deadlines. However, barring the inaugural match (for obvious bureaucratic delays) every other fixture was underway on the dot.

Senior Fifa referees Shankar and S. Suresh heading the organising committee only helped further as the officials knew how to go about conducting the task in the right manner. “The entire organising team including Shankar and Suresh did a brilliant job. All the coaches and players were happy with the way the tournament was conducted,” added Praveen.

IM Vijayan’s participation, too, added to the tournament’s allure. The superstar of yesteryear, who stepped out for a dozen-odd minutes in Kerala Police’s opener against SAI, enthralled the Chennai football-lovers with undiminished artistry in the final against eventual champions ICF.

Vijayan’s former national teammates Raman Vijayan and Syed Sabir Pasha were in unison while lauding the superstar. “Vijayan’s methods were unique. He wouldn’t look too serious before matches and usually took training sessions very lightly. But once he entered the field, he was a terror.

A naturally gifted player, Vijayan’s involvement during the course of the game was second to none. Vijayan was the best player I have played with. He was definitely much better than Baichung Bhutia,” recalled Raman.

“Vijayan was a massive hit among the masses all over the country. The huge crowds in Kerala and Calcutta would go hysterical after seeing his magical dribbling moves near the sidelines. On one instance, Vijayan forgot his shoes back at the hotel and had to make do with our goalkeeper Joe Paul Ancheri’s giant-sized boots.

The dangling shoes notwithstanding, Vijayan still managed to score three goals. He was an extremely chirpy character,” added Raman.

According to Sabir, Vijayan’s mere presence on the field lifted the entire team’s morale. “Not for nothing was he called ‘The Cobra’. He would take the opponents by surprise and sting them when they least expect – such was his cunningness inside the box. Vijayan’s rapport with the crowd was infectious.

Unlike most of today’s generation, he wasn’t averse to playing in front of a huge gathering.
The screamer he scored against Cameron in Chennai will never fade away. It was always a treat to watch Vijayan play,” said Sabir.