C V Pappachan, a key member of the Kerala Police team which won the prestigious Federation Cup in 1990 and 1991, will retire from the state police force on Monday.
The 56-year-old deputy commandant of the India Reserve Battalion, who joined Kerala police as an assistant sub-inspector in 1985, has completed 36 years of service.
Pappachan was part of Kerala Police's Golden Generation. That talented group of footballers included the likes of V P Sathyan, I M Vijayan, U Sharaf Ali, and K T Chacko. Remarkably, many of the players from that illustrious Kerala Police squad went on to play for the national team.
The Thrissur-born nippy forward, who scored a brace against a strong Salgaocar side in the final of the Federation Cup in 1990, represented India in many tournaments between 1987 and 1994 and captained the national team in the Bristol Freedom Cup football tournament held in Colombo in 1994.
A member of the Santosh Trophy-winning Kerala team in 1992 and 1993, Pappachan speaks about his career, the experience of playing alongside some of the stalwarts of Kerala football, post-retirement plans and more.
Excerpts from the interview:
I M Vijayan considers you the best among his contemporaries. How do you rate yourself as a player?
I will rather leave it to my former teammates than rate myself. They are the best people around to assess my strengths and weaknesses. I know Vijayan better than he knows himself because I've played alongside him for several years. It is a great feeling when you are loved and admired by your teammates.
Both as a player and a police officer, you have been a true professional. How could you develop and practice such work ethics?
Thanks to the training we underwent at the Kerala Police Academy. The police football team was formed in 1984. I, along with Sharaf Ali, Sathyan, and Thobias, joined the force the next year, followed by Kurikesh Mathew and K T Chacko. After two years, Vijayan arrived.
Things were not easy then. Players in other clubs could do whatever they wanted after training, but we had to follow strict discipline on and off the field. We were allowed to go out only on Sundays and had to obtain permission even for watching a movie. Apart from coaching sessions twice a day, we had to attend routine parades and other training programmes for new recruits at the academy. It inculcated in us the habit of keeping sound physique, mental health, discipline, punctuality etc. The training also helped us to be more professional in our approach to the game.
Your most memorable moment as a player?
Definitely, the Federation Cup in 1990. I don't think anybody would have expected us to win the title when we made it to the final. Our opponents were Salgaocar FC who were looking to win their third title on the trot. But we beat them 2-1 and I could score both goals. It was a proud moment for all of us. We went on to win the title next year as well. The Kerala sides which won the Santosh Trophy in 1992 and 93 were made up mostly of players from Kerala Police.
Why did you turn down lucrative offers from East Bengal and Mohun Bagan when you were at the peak of your career?
My monthly salary was Rs 5,000 when Bagan approached me. They offered me an annual contract worth Rs 7 lakh. East Bengal too offered a similar amount. To be honest, I did ponder over a move to one of those clubs, but was nervous about quitting a permanent job. I was scared to leave because I thought I would not be able to find a job once I returned to Kerala. My father was running a ration shop at Parappukkara (in Thrissur) and the only option was to take up that job when I retire from professional football. After some consideration, I decided to stay back. I have never regretted that decision. I could rise to the rank of Superintendent of Police and it was no mean achievement.
You have had a very successful career as a footballer, but did you get due recognition?
I had this wrong notion that we should not chase awards as they would come at the right time. It took me some time to realise that things don't work that way. I was sad that I could not win Arjuna or Padma awards while playing. I still believe that I deserved to be recognised. Last year, I was conferred with the President's police medal. I'm happy that I got my due as a policeman.
Have you charted out your post-retirement plans?
I have plans to open an academy to train budding goalkeepers. The number of trainees will be limited to 10 to focus on each player individually. The training programme will be based off the German methodologies of goalkeeper coaching. I will also devote time to widen my artistic repertoire. I have already made my debut in pancharimelam and pandimelam. I'm currently learning thayambaka and saxophone. Busy days are ahead!
