Bhubaneswar: The state has been a major go-to destination for sports as far as hosting international events are concerned. And with the inception of its own football team Odisha FC, local lad Subham Sarangi believes the state will produce several top class players in five years or so.
Odisha FC, who will be making their debut in the Indian Super League (ISL) this season October 22 in an away encounter against Jamshedpur FC. They will play another three away games before facing ATK November 24 in their home at the iconic Kalinga Stadium.
“Whenever a new team comes, expectations are always higher. And as a professional player, my job is to give 100 percent and I guarantee you that. Regarding the future of football in the state, I believe that in the coming five years or so, Odisha will produce several top-class players,” Sarangi said on the sidelines of the team’s kit and website launch here Wednesday evening.
“As far as my game is concerned, I aim to play as many games as possible and will contribute to the team in every game, whatever be the requirement. That’s my individual target as well as breaking in the Indian side.”
While head coach Joseph Gombau was able to retain most of his players who were at Delhi Dynamos, there were also some new foreign faces. According to 19-year-old Sarangi, the team has become a family now.
“Most of the players in this squad have played together in Delhi Dynamos last year. Other than that there are some foreign players who have come in. So together it’s like a family with a great bonding. As said, the expectations will be higher this time from us and we will leave no stone unturned,” said Sarangi who has represented India at U-14 and U-17 levels.
It may be recalled that a couple of days ago Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced ISL as the top tier of Indian football with I-League being demoted as a second division league. Sarangi welcomed the decision.
“I think it’s a great decision on the part of Indian football. The practice of relegation and promotion should be there in Indian football as it helps in the competitiveness of the game,” he added.
Meanwhile, Odisha FC captain Marcos Tebar has acknowledged the training facilities and is looking forward to playing at the Kalinga Stadium.
“The preparations have been good. We had a two-week training session in Spain before we moved to Qatar for some more days (as a part of pre-season). And as far as Bhubaneswar is concerned, the facilities are good and we are looking forward to our first home game November 24,” said the former FC Pune City midfielder.
Tebar, a product of Real Madrid academy was also happy the way fans have welcomed the side. “I feel very good. The welcome was very nice from the fans and this is a big challenge for all of us. It’s a new club and a new city. I think it’s going to be a tough season because there are a lot of good teams and hope that we can enjoy and win the title,” added the 33-year-old.