Footballer Sandip Rai : Epitome of calm, cool and collected

Only 24 but international Sandip   Rai   has   carved a niche for himself in Nepali football. He has earned high marks and accolades   for his defensive skills from all quarters.

Good positioning, heading,   powerful shots and passing are some of his   strengths. Having already made 43 international appearances, the youngster   is the   epitome of calm, cool and collected.  Today he stands    a much more matured, composed player and   is always a joy to watch him play.

Speaking of scoring goals, he is not very far behind. He   has three   and   sixteen   goals in international and domestic tournaments respectively to his credit.

He is confident, steady and rock solid when it comes to defending   the   citadel.  And it   is   no   wonder; he is the true   heart and soul of the team’s defense.

His   biggest attribute is his versatility and astuteness. Former national   coach of Nepal Graham Roberts described him   as   being   a brilliant and intelligent   defender.

Not   everyone knows, he is more than a   regular defender.  He has proven time and time again what an incredible   midfield player he is. He can rightly   be called a creative and resourceful player.

The youngster’s climb to   success   has   been    impressive and steady. Unlike many promising youngsters that came in   and    fizzled  out before they made it to the big time,  he was razor – focused  on chasing his football dream of playing for the country and becoming a professional  player.

Rai   has achieved a lot for someone so   young but he   craves   South Asian Federation   Football Championship   and South Asian Federation Games success that has eluded   the   team for so long.

At   the age of 18, he made his debut for the national team of Nepal in an exhibition match against Pakistan. He firmly established himself as the team’s most reliable and trusted defender, in no time. Unquestionably, he   has become   an integral part of the team.

Rai’s   football journey   began in earnest after he completed his stint at All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) Football Academy in 2004.

Coaches   were quick   to notice his talent .They concluded that he was a high-quality player with a very bright future.  Prior to breaking into the senior team, Rai   represented   the country in every age group tournament ranging from U-14 to U-23.

Fresh out of the academy, New Road Team wasted no time recruiting him.   A year   later his impressive performance culminated into a move to Manang Marsyangdhi Club, followed by a transfer to Three Star Club.

Rai comes from a family of footballers in Duhabi, Sunsari.  At a very tender age, he showed great   interest in football. He used to   hang around his father and uncle’s football team as a spectator.

His dad Deepak Rai, director of ANFA Technical Center, Dharan  and uncle Dilip Rai, president of District Football Asssociation, Sunsari were active footballers in their own right.

Barely 6 years old, there was nothing that made him   happier, excited   and thrilled   than to watch football   matches.

Not surprisingly he   continued to pursue   his passion while attending high   school.   He was in line with the family tradition when it was not too long before he started playing   competitively.  

I had the privilege of knowing the brothers.  Dilip (dai) was a prominent player of his time. If my memory serves me right, he was a solid defender and represented   Sunsari district, KoshI zone and played for leading cubs of Koshi and Mechi zones for a very long time.

Rai has imbibed some of   his qualities   from his uncle.  Dilip (dai) nicknamed “Gaiday” for his defensive exploits was a   tremendous and tactical player. I remember Deepak   play for Eleven Arrows and Mahendra Morang Multiple College, Biratnager. as well.

They   constantly supported, motivated   him   and were   the driving force behind young   Rai’s rise to stardom.

The youngster has lived up to expectations. It was a   joyous and proud moment for the Rai family when their son was awarded the   popular “Ncell Football Player of the Year 2069” award.

Besides, he   played   for Kolkata’s   Mohammedan Sporting Club for eight months. The contract fetched him   Rs 1.2million. Today he proudly wears the captain’s armband (Three Star Club) and carries many responsibilities.

Off the pitch he is   equally   preoccupied with his   new venture these days. Interestingly, he along with some of his friends    has   made   a   joint foray into the business world. I wish   them   the very best.  

The key to Rai’s   success has been his discipline, commitment, perseverance, hard work and   practice. He has   age on his side and   we will be seeing a lot more   of   shirt number 13 (Rai’s jersey number) in the days ahead.