Nitin PANT
former Correspondent (New Delhi)

I came to know about IndianFootball.Com from a teammate during school days. After that I became a regular visitor of the website. That time there was no website on Indian football and IndianFootball.Com filled the vacuum. The fact that it was the lone website on Indian football is not the only factor I was hooked on to it, but its presentation and wide coverage of news made me surf it almost everyday.

It became almost a habit that after playing Delhi SA league matches I used to surf it for the results and look for my name when I scored some rare goals. I once remember during my college days, emailing Arunava regarding coverage of Delhi football, that it should get more space. That time I did not have any plans to work for the website.

Some time after finishing my graduation I felt that there are so many football activities in the capital that a dedicated correspondent will help IndianFootball.Com cover Delhi football in a much wider way. I wrote to Arunava about my interest in joining the website as Delhi correspondent. And after that rest is history.

It started well, as being a player myself helped me in getting news easily. Then news from Delhi became more prominent on IndianFootball.Com. As I continued I came to know more about Delhi and Indian football and became more football erudite. Playing and covering at the same time was the most unusual experience. I came in contact with several international and national football personalities. I was surprised to know from various people that they regularly follow IndianFootball.Com against my expectations. From journalists of leading dailies to players playing in the I-League amongst others, everyone told me that surfing IndianFootball.Com was experience of its kind and they regularly follow it.

I was doing a regular job with IOS Sports and Leisure. Being a correspondent helped in the professional life as well. Getting news immediately and frequently helped me in my job and kept me up to date. Being in a sports management company which was handling major football events in Delhi including the New Delhi Heroes, playing for the same club and working for IndianFootball.Com gave me complete satisfaction at the end of the day. It was like a complete package for me and a dream for various football devoted people who wants to make any positive difference in Indian football.

Destiny took me to some other field and I am no more with IndianFootball.Com and in the sports management business. But still my heart is there and I regularly follow IndianFootball.Com as and when I get time.

The best part of IndianFootball.Com is that all the editors and correspondents are working voluntarily. All work for the love and passion for Indian football. And that’s why it will remain the marvellous website on Indian football. And in its 10th year it is still going very strong. I wish Arunava, Chris and the whole team of IndianFootball.Com all the best for their future endeavours!

This write-up is for a different purpose but I want to use this opportunity to thank Arunava, Chris, IndianFootball.Com members, Mr. Novy Kapadia, Mr. NK Bhatia, Sunil Chetri, Mr. Umesh Sood and the whole Delhi football fraternity for making my football related career a successful one.