Deepak returns to coach Lakshadweep, hopes to script a ‘Curacao’ story in Santosh Trophy

Coaching Lakshadweep in the Santosh Trophy is not the most glamorous role in Indian football, but C M Deepak is excited to return to the archipelago to restart a project he kicked off six years ago.

The Kozhikode native was Lakshadweep's first coach in the Santosh Trophy, managing them for three seasons in the national football championship, starting with 2016-17. "Ever since we decided to reunite, I've been getting calls and messages from former players and friends in Lakshadweep," Deepak said.

The most memorable part of Deepak's first spell with Lakshadweep was helping them break their Santosh Trophy duck. Lakshadweep secured their first-ever win by beating Telangana 1-0 on January 10, 2017. Under his management, the islanders won two more games a season later, which remains their best qualification race to date.

But in the larger scheme of things, Lakshadweep are seen as the whipping boys in the Santosh Trophy. Their performances were at a low ebb last season, as they lost all three qualifiers and conceded 14 goals, including a humiliating 10-0 defeat to Kerala.

"To me, Lakshadweep is all about good vibes. I've an emotional connection and it is not just to the game there, but the people, the schools, the academies and the coaches," Deepak said.

A few years ago, Deepak was one of the experts who led a training programme for aspiring coaches in association with the Premier League. He is looking forward to reconnecting with them in preparation for the Santosh Trophy. "All my assistant coaches are going to be from Lakshadweep because they know the players and their game. Four scouts are looking for talent out there. We want all the right set of people," Deepak said.

The coach plans to return to the islands by the end of November and has scheduled an open selection on December 1-2. "We will have a short camp and then bring the players to Kozhikode to play some practice matches. Here we can get some good college teams, and there's also Gokulam Kerala."

In his first stint, Deepak was made aware that most of his players had never played on actual grounds. "Most of them used to play on nine-a-side grounds and they did not have sufficient exposure either. The situation has changed now, but when it comes to senior players, who are not part of the ISL or the I-League, the Santosh Trophy is still the most important tournament."

Each season, the islanders send their best footballers on a ship to the mainland to play a handful of qualification matches and hope they do the unthinkable. Lakshadweep are likely to face another tough qualification when the Santosh Trophy begins in the second week of December. According to reports, Lakshadweep are likely to be in a group with heavyweights Goa, Services and Karnataka.

Deepak is aware of the reality he is returning to, but he prefers to see the sunny side. He's also got a global underdog story ready for his first pep talk. "There are not even a lakh people living in Lakshadweep. But there is a good story before us, of the tiny island nation of Curacao, with a population of about 1.5 lakh, qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. You just have to do your best," Deepak said.