Living & breathing the beautiful game

It was vintage Xavier Vijay Kumar at his best. A couple of days after Karnataka government bestowed the Ekalavya Award on him, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) took to the field on a hot April afternoon last year at the Bangalore Football Stadium in their quest to book a place in India's premier football competition, the I-League.
The opponents were Titanium, a relatively weak side from Kerala.But the Bangalore team couldn't score a single goal, despite brave efforts from Xavier and his mates.
As the match was drawing to a close, a section of crowd started taunting Xavier with shouts like `Ekalavyaaaaa, Ekalavyaaaa,' indirectly suggesting he was not eligible for the coveted award.
The incident left an indelible scar on him and he immediately relinquished the team's captaincy. "I have given my life to HAL football team. How can I bear such taunts?" asked Xavier, as he is known among his mates.
A week later, Xavier came back and scored two goals to help his side register a thumping win over Oil India, which made HAL's ascendancy to I-League easier. Spectators, who had craved for his blood earlier, were forced to give him a standing ovation after the match.
It was not a one-off incident. Xavier's boots have been doing the talking for more than 12 years in Bangalore, spraying shots at the rival citadels one after another, paying scant respect for the defenders who keep a close tab on him. He has an uncanny knack for scoring lovely goals from innocuous angles.
His aggression is limited to the field only. Off it, he's a loyal HAL player.In fact, he had warded off tempting offers from rich domestic clubs from Kolkata and Goa, only to continue as a vital cog in his team's wheel for the last 13 years.
It's not because he got enough recognition for his contributions, but simply because it was HAL who gave him a job when life was at a crossroads.
Xavier had lost his father S Arul Siluvai in 1997. Then he was a trainee at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Bangalore. His mother Mary Arul Selvi, a school teacher, struggled to manage the family of four his two sisters were unmarried at that time with her meagre income. He was desperately in need of employment.
Two seasons with the SAI side in the Bangalore District Football Association's A division league, Xavier was able to demonstrate his footballing prowess which prompted HAL officials to rope in the talent in 1998.
Career Graph
After joining HAL, Xavier represented and captained Karnataka in various age group championships as well as Santosh Trophy. Soon he caught the eyes of Indian selectors and was drafted into the Indian team for the qualifying matches of the Asian Youth Under-19 football championship held in Bangalore in 1998.
Three years later, he was picked for the national camp for a tour of Pakistan. But the tournament was cancelled following the attacks on World Trade Centre in the US.
In 2006, he figured in the senior national side for the AFC Asia Cup qualifying round matches against Japan and Yemen. The same year, he was named the vice-captain in India's AFC Challenge Cup campaign in Bangladesh.
Observers feel Xavier's agility makes him a perfect footballer. He's hasn't put on an extra kilogram during the last three years. "I'm very particular about keeping my fitness to face the rigours on the modern football. I believe in Syed Nayeemuddin sir's (former India coach) philosophy. He used to tell us: 'Don't sit idle. You should keep on moving. Otherwise your body will take rust."
That makes Xavier a go-getter on the field. He braved injuries and ventured on to the field many a time to rescue HAL from the jaws of defeat, the sweetest one being the win against Vasco Sports Club, Goa in the final of an All-India football tournament in Kerala last year.
THE ROMANTIC SIDE
Cupid struck Xavier at a time when he was at the peak of his career. He fell in love with Preetha, also from HAL neighbourhood. Xavier had thwarted stiff opposition from her parents __ like he always does on the field to tie the nuptial knot in 2002. They have two children, Alan Sanjay and Judith Jyothi, and live in HAL Quarters near Old Airport. "We faced lot of difficulties before getting married. But now everything is settled down," he says.
CRAZY FOR CRICKET
Unlike many other Indian footballers, who believe that cricket is destroying the beautiful game in India, Xavier loves cricket and enjoys playing it. "Whenever I get time, I play cricket with my friends. I'm a big hitter and scored plenty of runs. Some of my friends even asked me to play for HAL," he says jocularly.
And his favourite cricketer? No doubt, its Sachin. He's a cricketing genius. No player in the world can match him," he says.
REGRETS, WISHES
Xavier owes much of his personal glory to his dad. "My dad wanted to see me as a footballer. But he could not watch me after I became a professional. Hope he night be watching me from the heavens," Xavier said.
For an attacking midfielder who made scoring a habit, it is a bit disappointing that he could not score a goal for India. "I missed many scoring opportunities for India, but I take solace in the fact I created equal number of opportunities for my teammates," says the attacking mid-fielder/striker.
FUTURE PLANS
At present, Xavier, 32, is not thinking about retirement as he believes he has good five years of football left in him. "My wish is to play for HAL for another five years, but I will call it quits the moment I feel I am not fit enough to play."
Is it possible for a player like him to stay away from the hysteric, football mad crowd even after retirement? "It's possible. But I won't desert my side. I'll remain as a loyal HAL employee," is the reply.
Favourites
Footballer: Diego Maradona
Cricketer: Sachin Tendulkar
Actor: Rajnikanth
Movie: Dalapathi (Tamil)