Amongst the 22 players on the field in the MSSA second division tie between Don Bosco 'B' (Matunga) and Hiranandani (Powai) at Azad Maidan on Saturday that ended 2-2, it would be hard not to notice a pair of bright orange shoes making attacking runs and spraying passes from midfield.
Hiranandani's 15-year-old Vig Shaurya doesn't credit his fleet footedness to his newly bought shoes. For him, it's the coach and the team who come first. He showed just that as he pointed to his teammates and ran towards his coach after scoring his side's second goal.
Shaurya has been part of the Hiranandani side right from the age of nine. Despite not being the captain, the Powai resident, studying in the ninth standard, not only dictates play but is also in charge of the pre-match training exercises.
"My team and coach have made me the player I am today. Playing for the shirt is all that counts for me," says Shaurya, who also plays for MDFA Division III side Western United FC.
For Shaurya and his teammates, it was two points dropped, but with 10 points from five games and Shaurya scoring his third goal of the competition and his second in as many games, there is good reason for the Hiranandani side to be optimistic.
"Shaurya is a player whose game is entirely built on confidence. If he plays well, the side plays well. We weren't able to hold on to our lead but take nothing away from the way he played today," says coach Chandan Rathod.
Stopwatch: St. Xavier's (Bhandup) 5 (A Fernandes, C Komwar, M Ellana , G Chavhan, S D'souza) bt Beat Activity (Peddar Road) 0; St. Joseph HS (Wadala) 3 (B Bopara, K Napanda, T Bohra) bt Utpal Sanghvi School (Juhu) 0; St. Xavier's (Borivali) 5 (A Dias 3,W Rodrigues, D Baria) bt St. Theresa (Bandra) 1 (B Parmar); Swami Vivekanand (Kandivli) 4 (Y Waghela 2, N Doshi, M Sanghvi1) bt St Anne's (Malad) 0; St. Dominc Savio (Andheri) 1 (D Maynard) bt The Cathedral & John (Fort) 0; Bombay International (Babulnath) failed to turn up for their match against OLPS (Chembur); Don Bosco 'B' (Matunga) 2 (J Dias, J Paul) drew with Hiranandani (Powai) 2 (B Sanjeet, S Nishanat)
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