Watch: FC Pune City's Baljit Sahni on conquering fear and being a versatile player on the pitch

“The Punjabi players are not to be seen anywhere. The young players, who play for colleges and universities, have nothing lined up for the future. It’s all down to the players to go to clubs and give trials on their own,” quips FC Pune forward Baljit Sahni in his strong Punjabi slang, which has earned him the nickname Paaji among his teammates. He is lamenting the lack of football clubs from Punjab. In the past few years, the number of football clubs from state has reduced. Minerva Punjab FC, operating from Ludhiana, is the only football club from Punjab in India’s top two football divisions today. Sahni himself was a product of JCT, which during its 16-year-long existence in India’s top division football, provided a platform for young players from the state to rise. “After JCT got relegated from the I-League, no one has put the required effort to bring up another team (from Punjab). Even when they tried, financial problems prevented them from achieving success,” he says. Sahni is a fighter. On the pitch he is a tiger, constantly pressing the opposition defenders, sometimes a tad too much – his habit of getting sent off is a testimony to his eagerness. Off the pitch too, the man from Mahilpur (Hoshiarpur) is never ready to give up. In 2009, Sahni and JCT teammate Sunil Kumar were seriously injured in a bike accident in Goa. Sahni fractured his wrist, and also injured his shin, and required 25 stitches during treatment. “When the accident happened there was a match the next day, and I had also earned a call up for the national side,” remembers Sahni. “I was affected by the fact that I missed the one-month-long national football team camp due to my injury. But I recovered quite fast. I left the hospital in a week and I played a match in a month’s time,” he adds. “When the ball was coming in the air, I was a little anxious to head the ball. There were stitches in my head and I was worried how I will able to head the ball. But slowly, through practice, I overcame that fear,” says Sahni. He scored for his team in the comeback match. After starting his professional career in JCT, Sahni went on to represent East Bengal for five years, after which he made a switch to Indian Super League (ISL) side Atletico de Kolkata. He went out on loan to DSK Shivajians during the I-League season and was later picked up by Chennaiyin FC. The forward last played for Mumbai FC before making the short relocation to FC Pune City. While Sahni has always preferred to play the role of an attacking winger, he has had to don the role of a centre forward on multiple occasions. But the man has no complaints. “It is all up to the coach. He has to make the team and he has to see who all he has available and what positions they can play (in). I believe I can play in two-three positions,” admits Sahni. The man just wants to play football. The interview is a part of Firstpost’s Unwind series. Watch Indian hockey team captain Rani Rampal’s interview here

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Watch: FC Pune City's Baljit Sahni on conquering fear and being a versatile player on the pitch

Sahni is a fighter. On the pitch he is a tiger, constantly pressing the opposition defenders, sometimes a tad too much – his habit of getting sent off is a testimony to his eagerness.

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