Cristiano Ronaldo might be one of the world’s greatest footballers right now, but it wasn’t the same when a small boy from Lisbon started his footballing career. Years of hard work, an undying passion for the sport and the hunger to be at the top has made the Portuguese what he is today.
In the case of ‘Ronaldo Bhai’ of Muzzafarnagar, the story is no different. Probably, his journey has been a bit tougher.
Son of a college peon in Muzzafarnagar's Bhopa is a part of the Indian football team. 21-year-old Nishu Kumar says, 'I started playing the game when I was 5 years old. We used to play it in our school ground under the guidance of our school sports teacher.' (05.07.18) pic.twitter.com/oMcQBAdl9C
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 6, 2018
Nishu Kumar, the son of a school peon, who had an underprivileged upbringing, has not only faced but has overcome the extreme challenges and hardships of life. However, his poverty and the lack of opportunities was not enough to stop him from living his dream of playing for his country.
He began his career as a 12-year-old kid at the Chandigarh Football Academy. His talent was finally recognized by Bengaluru FC, in 2015, when the club signed him for a sum of ₹ 1 crore in 2015.
He took another giant step in his career, the next year when he was selected to play for AFC under-19 football team.
And now, after earning a spot in the Indian National Football Team, 21-year-old Nishu Kumar is nothing short of an icon for the youngsters of the Western UP town. Speaking about Nishu to TOI, his coach Kuldeep Rathi said,
“He is training a dozen of children from the village. I am also hopeful that other children in the region take up football as a career.”
Nishu has donned the Indian colours in various U15 and U-16 tournaments and he isn’t stopping soon. The young lad is nothing but a perfect example of the statement “if there is a will, there is a way”.