Kenkre: A Journey From Shivaji Park To Hero I-League

by Aryalok Maithilesh December 23, 2021

After 2 decades of its inception, Kenkre is now ready for top-level footballing action.

In the year 2000, a bunch of students and a veteran coach dared to dream in the suburbs of Mumbai. A dream they had at that time in Shivaji Park was huge. But it has been well nurtured over the years and is now ready to become a reality.

Christmas came early for Kenkre FC when the club was given a place in the Hero I-League by the AIFF after Chennai City failed to meet the licensing criteria to play in the league. They were the second-best team in the Hero I-League Qualifiers earlier this year and were rewarded for their incredible performances.

The credit goes to the coaching staff for the way they managed to beat the expectations in the Hero I-League Qualifiers. Coach Akhil Kothari garnered much applause from the Indian football circle for leading them to the final match, where they missed out on qualifying after a draw with Rajasthan United.

The club now hopes to challenge at the top end of Indian football despite a modest budget and limited facilities compared to some of its rivals. The club will kick-off its season on December 31st against the Snow Leopards, Real Kashmir.

The club has seen a lot of activity in recent weeks with some key players consolidating some important positions for the upcoming season. After the setbacks in the qualifiers, channeling that letdown would be a good way to propel the team to success in 2021-22.

Club CEO Joshua Lewis expressed his happiness and said, “it is great to have a club from Maharashtra in the Hero I-League after 2017. This will provide us with a platform to showcase the local talent that we have been developing over the years at the highest level. We have managed to build a good team on short notice and hopefully, we can fight well with the big boys. We have a good mix of local youth in our squad and have some experience from foreigners as well as Indians. We have great faith in our coach Akhil Kothari, who was a product of our youth system. He has proved his mettle in the qualifiers. Of course, it is a new challenge for him, but the boys are practicing well under him, and we really look forward to qualifying for the Championship stage.”

When asked about the team’s preparation, head coach Akhil Kothari said, “Ever since this news has come, we have summoned the squad. We have been practicing well at Cooperage and have played some friendly matches. This group of players has impressed me so far. We have retained several players who were part of our I-League Qualifiers squad and signed some key players. We have a good mix of youth and experience in the team and I believe this team can give tough competition to other clubs. Our motto will be “Perform to Inspire” as we look forward to inspiring the next generation of Mumbai footballers so that they can dream of playing at the highest level and representing the national team in the future.”

VERDICT

Given the fact that they had a stellar performance in the qualifiers, one can imagine that they will do well. But considering they’ve had little time to assemble a challenging squad, it’s hard to predict how they’ll fare.

Some prominent local players, key signings, and foreigners are expected to surprise the fans and the opposition as well.

The most interesting thing will be how the young coach Kothari does. The former Kenkre youth product has done extremely well in the qualifiers with limited resources and proved that his club can take on the big-budget clubs and give a good fight. One thing is certain that whatever they achieve this season will be good for Mumbai Football and if they really “Perform to Inspire” it will encourage the next generation of Mumbai to Dream!

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