Grand realises his dream

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S. Grand Duraipandian is a relaxed man these days. The Chennai Customs coach has accomplished his mission of winning the Chennai Football Association senior division league. During the tournament, however, Grand was emotional and nervous.

Since his team had dropped four points in their first four matches, there was no margin for error in the business end. The tightrope walk drained the coach emotionally. But in the end, Grand emerged a winner.

After having missed out on the title in his first season, Grand worked with greater resolve this year. His hard work in practice and his players’ fine show on the field helped Customs upstage defending champions AGORC by two points in the 12-team league.

The motivating powers of the Customs coach proved crucial in the final analysis. It also became evident that Customs wanted the title more than any other team in the competition. Hunger is a critical quality in a tight title race and the champions were indeed ravenous.

Grand told Deccan Chronicle on Wednesday that winning the CFA division title had been a life-long ambition. “I couldn’t do it in my playing days for Customs.

So I was determined to go all the way as coach. I kept telling my players that they were the best in the league. Talent, toil and unity won Customs the title. Sports officer D.S. Thyagarajan, manager Elangovan and assistant coach Rajkumar supported me all along,” he added.

Customs found the going tough initially as their attacking fulcrum, M. Ramesh, had been laid low by injury. Once the sharp shooter returned, Customs assumed the menace of a juggernaut. “The comeback of Ramesh and a 3-2 win over Indian Bank were the turning points in our campaign. Had Indian Bank’s Nigerian forward Useni not missed a penalty when the score was 3-1, we would have found ourselves in big trouble,” Grand said.

The passionate coach said he was equally pleased with his team’s style of play. “On the day of the valedictory function, a disabled Railway porter came up to me and said he enjoyed watching Customs play. He added that he was a big fan of our touches and passing. For him, the playing style is more important than winning or losing. I had a sense of fulfillment on that day,” Grand added.

The Railway porter isn’t wrong. Customs have been more pleasing to the eye than any other team in Chennai in the last few seasons. If fans are asked to pay to watch the senior division league, they wouldn’t mind spending if Customs play.

Grand said the title has won his team respect and admiration in office. “I was pleasantly surprised to find so many Customs employees at the stands during our match against TN Police. Some of them had never been interested in football before. I hope the triumph will pave the way for more appointments. Pla-yers such as Sathish, Sudhakar and Nirmal should be rewarded for their commitment,” he added.

According to Grand, Sathish’s hard tackling and heading ability helped his team gain possession in midfield. “He is a byword for dedication. Sudhakar can change the course of a match in the blink of an eye through his imaginative work. Nirmal, always a cool customer, is one of the best crossers in the league. All the three deserve to become Customs employees at the earliest,” he added.

The Customs coach is planning to add a couple of players for the next season. “We certainly need a hand each in the forward line and midfield. We are on the lookout for players who have the quality to play for Customs,”