THRISSUR: Kerala football captain Rahul V. Raj’s village is in a frenzy. Sunday’s Santosh Trophy win has brought the 25-year-old SBI employee the status of a legend like the late VP Sathyan who captained Kerala in 1993. Sathyan had brought the cup to Kerala after a long drought since the first win in 1973. Now Rahul’s has become the first Kerala team to beat the mighty West Bengal in their courtyard to take the honour in the 72-year history of the championship.
Celebrations began in his Thrithallur village near Vadanappally after the tiebreaker in the afternoon. The scenes resembled the revelry in 1993 recreated in the film Captain based on Sathyan’s life, released two months ago. To receive Rahul, nearly 200 villagers with his mother Sheeja and close relatives and friends reached the airport hiring two buses and a few cars. “Before leaving for Kolkata, Rahul hugged me and said he would not be the same person as he returns. My son has returned as a hero,” the triumphant mom said.
His father Rajendran works in the Gulf. In the winning team, there were four other players from Thrissur — midfielder M.S. Jithin of Ollur, who scored the first goal, defender Vipin Thomas of Chalakudy, striker P.S. Anurag of Mattathur and midfielder V.S. Sreekuttan of Konikkara.
