Sueoka's plans for poor kids

KOLKATA: Remember Ryuji Sueoka, the attacking midfielder, who played for Mohun Bagan and East Bengal apart from Salgaocar FC and Dempo SC, and tormented rival defences in the I-League with his speed and skill? The Japanese, who is now back in his country , has taken up a novel project that aims to put a smile on the faces of underprivileged children in India who aspire to be footballers.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Sueoka has learned the art of cobbling and is busy mending discarded football boots which he plans to send back to poor kids in India who can't afford to buy new ones.
In a video feature, posted by Fifa on its official website fifa.com, Sueoka reveals how he hit upon the idea while plying his trade in India before launching his project. According to Sueoka, while driving through Indian towns he saw lot of poor kids begging at traffic lights. Moved by their plight, he wanted to do something for them.
"During my time in India, I had seen a lot of cobblers mending shoes on the pavements. When my football boots needed repairing, I took them to cobblers. I was very impressed with their skills," Sueoka recalls.
"When I returned to Japan, I went to a cobbling school to learn how to repair shoes. Then I went to cobbling units and work for them. I mastered the technique in a couple of months," says Sueoka, who spent five seasons in India from 2008-14, even as he is seen mending a pair of football boots as his workplace in the video.
"There are lots of old and damaged football boots in Japan. I am repairing them with a view to sending them to India for poor kids," he adds.
The video clip on Sueoka has been recording a lot of hits ever since it was uploaded on Fifa's website. Sueoka, though, has another target in his mind -to become a successful coach. He is currently associated with a J-League Division-II club.