No homecoming, only football for India U-17 WC footballer Aniket Jadhav

Aniket Jadhav

In 2009, Aniket Jadhav then only nine, leaves his Kolhapur home against the wishes of his parents to join a football camp (Krida Prabhodini) in Balewadi, Pune.

A few months later, his father Anil makes his first attempt to lure his only son back home. In 2010, he gives it another shot. When he fails for the third time despite getting the Krida Prabhodini coach Jaideep Angirwal involved, Anil gives up.

Seven years later, Aniket is the only Maharashtra player in India's U-17 World Cup squad which was announced on Thursday.

Anil Jadhav with his rickshaw in Kolhapur on Saturday. Pics/Vikas Patil

"In his childhood, Aniket played football with his friends in Shahupuri's Lane No. 6 where we live. One day, his maternal uncle Sanjay Jadhav, who lives in Hardi, noticed something special in his football. It was Sanjay who took him for the Krida Prabhodini selection trials in Pune," Anil, who started driving an auto rickshaw after the textile mill he was employed in, shut down, told mid-day from Kolhapur on Saturday.

Aniket could have opted for athletics at the multi-discipline camp, but insisted that football was his calling and he didn't shy away from expressing his choice during the final interview process before full-time admission into the academy. Aniket embarked on his competitive football journey at the age of nine, as a Class V student at Krida Prabhodini.

Aniket with father Anil (right), mother Kartiki and sister Kajal

Coach Angirwal recalled: "He was determined to pursue his football passion and he was progressing. His father requested to me to allow him to leave Prabhodini and return to Kolhapur, but I told him that this was not possible. "Aniket was so passionate about football that even on non-training days (Saturday evenings and Sundays), he trained alone. I don't remember him not achieving his daily targets which we set for him during practice."

"I did not have the courage to say no to my father so I used to tell him that I would try and return home after a few months although in my heart I knew that I would never return home," said Aniket from Goa where the India under-17 team is training for next month's mega event. Passion alone does not guarantee important selections. Aniket suffered a blow when he was ignored for the state under-14 side for a tournament in 2010. "The state selection (schools) trials were held in Nagpur. He got very depressed after not making the team. It was hard to see a lad of 12 endure that kind of frustration. He refused to eat his meals for several days.

"I tried my best to convince him that there is always a next time. He had age on his side to get into the under-14 team. Luckily, he saw the brighter side and vowed to give his best to be selected in the team the following year," said Angirwal.

There was something else the forward did apart from picking himself up after the omission. He went to his room and stuck a note on the inside door of his cupboard. The note read: 'I want to play a World Cup anyhow.'

"That slip of paper was a source of inspiration and a reminder for me to work harder in order to realise my dreams of playing for India," said Aniket.

Aniket's coach and family are emphatic when they say that no one can take credit for his progress apart from himself. For Angirwal, the words 'World Cup' were never associated with his dreams for Aniket.

"Honestly, I never expected him to be part of a World Cup team simply because at that time, there were no plans for India to host this event. What I was sure about was that Aniket would give his best and play quality football at the highest level for India," said Angirwal.

As for Anil, he shudders to think what would have happened had he forced his only son to abandon his football pursuits. "Had I succeeded in convincing Aniket to return home, I would have had to live with regret," said Anil with a chuckle.