Chandan hails from the Sabar Sahi slum of Bhubaneshwar.
Chandan Nayak, an 11-year-old football sensation from an impoverished area of Odisha, has been chosen to train with Germany’s most iconic club Bayern Munich after coming through trials designed for players up to five years older than him.
“I am very happy. I want to become a player for the Indian team one day. I really want to thank my coach,†the Bhubaneshwar boy told ANI.
Hailing from the Sabar Sahi slum of the city, he has become one of the few who won an all-expense paid trip to train at the Budensliga champions’ state-of-art academy in Munich.
“His family is a broken one. His father deserted him at a very young age. His mother works as a servant at various places to be able to manage the family. She has sacrificed a lot to ensure that her children are brought up in a proper way. Chandan coming from a poor family stands as a sign of bravery because against all odds, he has proved his talent,†Chandan’s coach Jayadev Mahapatra told ANI.
Jayadev spotted Chandan when he was very young and Chandan has been training with Jayadev for the last three to four years.
“He will be leaving on [Aug.] 25. In Germany he will be playing besides greats like Philip Lahm. The best coaches of the world will train him. Around 120 students from across the world will be coming… The training he’ll receive at Bayern is beyond what we can give him in India. It’s huge opportunity for him and will create a lot of expectation and hope for the slum kids who play soccer,†Jayadev said.
The coach was also praised the Central and State governments, saying that all necessary documents had been created in time for his hassle-free travel.
“When he was selected, it came to light that he didn’t have a proper birth certificate. He only had an Aadhaar card. Initially there were a lot of troubles but we got a lot of help from the state and the central government. His passport, visa and birth certificates were made within time. We have deposited his application with German consulate in Kolkata on Friday. We are hopeful that his visa be ready in a few days,†the Coach added.