Express News Service
CHENNAI: When Nivetha Doss, a student of Government High School in Kanchipuram, took to football in the late 2000s, the motive was to try and bunk classes. It did not take long for her to fall in love with the sport.
She started playing inter-districts and zonals in Tamil Nadu but little did she know in over a decade she would be with the national team in a World Cup, as a coaching staff and not as a player.
While 30 is generally deemed as the age at which athletes are at the peak of their prowess, Nivetha, at 30, has been named as the assistant coach for the Indian team for the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup that is all set to begin on October 11 in Bhubaneswar and Goa.
What’s more, she has been involved in coaching for the better part of the past decade.
How did it all happen though? Like almost every young kid who takes up the sport, Nivetha, too, wanted to play at the top level. But lack of pathways and uncertainty over what next meant that she had a decision to make.
“After my B.Com, my family wanted me to pursue M. Com and land a government sector/bank job. But it was clear that a desk job is not for me. In football, I didn’t have enough exposure to build a playing career. We were playing without any target as to where the journey is going or why we are playing. Then I thought of what I could do further to be associated with Football. That’s when coaching came in,” Nivetha told this daily.
When she shared it with her family, there was very little resistance. But the onus was on her to face what the future holds. Even then there was very little clarity as to how to become a coach.
“For me, someone who gave me the right path and showed direction was Dhanalakshmi. She is a school Physical Education teacher in Avadi, Chennai. She only took care of my education when my family couldn’t. When we played zonal, she was our competitor in the district division and all. She liked my game and became a family friend. She came to the selection with me and helped me study. She has been the backbone of my life.”
She did her diploma at the NIS, and also got a licence with the All India Football Federation and FIFA. Even then, opportunities didn’t come knocking. Nivetha was working in a grassroots academy when the Tamil Nadu Football Federation roped her in for the Oorja tournament. On her first assignment, she won gold with the South Zone. With the Tamil Nadu senior team, she won gold in the 2018 nationals.
When asked if she had hurried into coaching, she laughs.
“Sometimes, I do feel that. But I look at it in a way that I have had a headstart in coaching than the current players who might take it up after retirement,” she said. Through the years, Nivetha has had her share of struggles, especially on the financial front, but looking back from where she is at the moment, she believes that it was all worth it. She is happy that players who left the sport and got married are now taking up coaching after her success.
The 30-year-old got a call-up to work with the India U17 preparatory camp in November 2021 when she was working with the SDAT. Since then, she has been working with the U17 and India senior teams and is currently with the junior team, preparing for the World Cup in Bhubaneswar.
The AIFF hasn’t been in the news for the right reasons over the last few months. But Nivetha said that through the duration where FIFA had banned the federation and there was uncertainty over the World Cup, they were not thinking about it at all.
“We felt all the efforts we have put in should not get spoiled. Even if the ban continued there was nothing in our hands. At least we learn something every day the mindset. All these young players are away from home and family and are sacrificing a lot. We made sure they aren’t affected.”
For Nivetha, to be a part of the World Cup is a dream. She looks at it as a lifetime gift for which she is grateful. This is why, when asked what was the mood and reaction in the camp when the ban was lifted, her answer came as no surprise. “It’s time to prove what Indians are, and show to the country what we are capable of.”
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