Dinker Chettri - Magic Feet And A Genius Mind

 

Those were the glory days of United Kurseong Football Club (UKFC). In the 90s they were a monumental force to be reckoned with. If I'm not mistaken, in one of the years in the late 90s, UKFC won every tournament they entered. Cable television was yet to make a significant entry into Indian homes and global football leagues had not yet captured the imagination of the youth. So we looked up to local players for inspiration and one such exceptional player who caught my imagination as a young boy was Dinker Chettri, who held together the midfield of UKFC for a long time. 

I saw him for the first time at my village ground in Rongo during the Gold Cup. UKFC in those days had a magnificent set of players like Dinker himself, Late Ladup Lama, Crispin Chettri, Jiten Rai and Ugen Lama, to name a few. Those blue jerseys and white half pants they wore also looked impeccable. I don't remember every match UKFC played but they were impressive throughout the tournament and eventually won it. Later, Dinker told me that had they not won it, their beloved club was on the verge of shutting down due to a severe financial crisis. The prize money helped keep the club alive.

Then I saw Dinker in Gangtok, most probably during the Independence Cup in 1997, and I became his fan. Those long passes, dribbling skills, sudden changes of direction and precise through balls. Add to that his stepovers. Maybe I saw that technique for the first time through him. He was a complete midfielder, a sublime player who looked destined for greatness.

After that, if I'm not wrong, Dinker went to Kolkata and played for East Bengal, Peerless and a host of other big clubs in the country. However, he never became a household name though I believe he had the potential to become a star of Indian football. In our region, however, he has earned immense respect both as a player and as a coach. He has had his share of critics too and was once embroiled in a controversy outside the field that took a toll on his reputation. Now everything seems fine and the gentleman is well on his way.

We haven't met often but whenever we chat, I get the feeling that he possesses a great football mind. He is always thinking about the game and about how he can improve more as a tactician than just as a coach. Always up for a football conversation, it is a pleasure to talk with Dinker, a shrewd football mind. I also love how he speaks with so much enthusiasm about football even after all these years in the game. He still has that passion of a young boy who is just starting off. 

During our recent meeting at Sukna, at a training session of Kanchanjunga FC (KFC), where he has been coaching since the club was launched in 2013, he told me that coaching at the highest level is more about man management than the basics. It's about understanding the psychology of players rather than constantly telling them during a match to do this or do that. He concluded by saying, "You can't coach players like Messi or Ronaldo but you can try to understand their minds and what they are thinking as a coach."

Then, to my horror and embarrassment, Dinker suddenly informed me that he would line up the players and I would have to shake hands with them. I felt like running away on hearing that. I told him, "Please don't do all this," but he didn't listen and called all the players. However, he didn't ask me to shake hands with them. Instead, he gave a short speech introducing me. All that while I was standing there not knowing what to do. Later, I felt it was a nice gesture by him and I really appreciated it and also thank the young players of KFC. 

Though Dinker doesn't have a coaching licence and is volunteering at Kanchanjunga FC without a salary, he has no complaints. When I asked him if he planned to acquire a coaching licence, he replied that even a person without a licence can drive a car and be very good at it.

"I can definitely coach without a degree as well and I don't have any ambitions of becoming a professional coach, so it's alright for me. My work is at the grassroots level helping these kids dream big and I'm happy here."

This man from Kurseong definitely has a way with words, I felt. I also knew he was being modest as his knowledge of the game is far beyond just the grassroots level.

He also shared that Kanchanjunga FC never signs foreign players as their philosophy is to provide a platform for local footballers. Even if they lose, the club accepts it because they believe players learn more from losing than from winning easily. Having said that, KFC has won a significant number of tournaments relying solely on local players.

I have loved football all my life and I have had the opportunity to work in this sector as well. But it is amazing to see people like Dinker who have dedicated their lives to the game, first as a player and then as a coach. Coming to the ground every morning to train players and travelling to matches. I would get bored of that. It takes special genes to have that kind of passion for the game.

Talking about genes, Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri is Dinker's cousin. Maybe he doesn't want to talk too much about it but when I asked, he simply said, "Yes, Sunil is my mother's sister's son," without elaborating further.

Lastly, I'm not very well versed in his personal life as I don't have much interest in poking my nose into other people's private affairs. But as a footballer, I have been a fan of Dinker for a very long time. A lifetime fan, I suppose. I have told him this on several occasions and he just smiles. 

Well, there has never been any doubt in the football circles of our region that Dinker Chettri possessed magic feet. Now, I think he is developing a genius mind to match them.