Family of ailing 20-yr-old footballer pins hope on AIFF

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 3

Busy rearing his herd of cattle at Chumo village of Adampur here, Razaak Ali does not show any sign of worry about the fate of his son and football star Anwar Ali. It was found last year that the 20-year-old football sensation has a congenital heart disease. The All-India Football Federation is to decide his fate in competitive football in the next 10 days.

"Allah will take care of Anwar. When the whole country is praying for him, why should I worry?" says Razaak.

Decision in 10 days

• The All-India Football Federation is to decide Anwar Ali's fate in competitive football in the next 10 days. The footballer was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease last year.
• Razaak Ali, Anwar's father, said the biggest solace for him was that a Kolkata-based hospital, where Anwar had undergone some medical tests, had given him clearance.

"The biggest solace for me is that a Kolkata-based hospital, where Anwar has undergone some medical tests, has given him clearance. So, on the basis of this report, the AIFF may also give him the go-ahead," says his father.

Razaak says, "We never knew Anwar had a heart disease. He has never shown any signs of fatigue. He started playing when he was barely eight and has played quite a few international events. Anwar has undergone so many medical tests but this problem never surfaced. We were shocked when he was diagnosed with this disease by a Mumbai hospital. We were told that he has the disease since childhood. When he stayed with us during the lockdown, we did not notice any slackness in him even after rigorous exercise. As soon as Minerva Academy, Chandigarh, opened two months ago, he left for his training."

He says last month, his son came home for a few days, but soon left for Kolkata to take part in a training camp ahead of a tournament starting there on September 20.

Asked if he felt that the decision could impact the financial prospects of the family, Razaak says, "Surely... but we are very optimistic. Though Anwar has been in the game for the past few years, he has been doing especially well on the financial front for the past two years."

from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3gVw2Zt