I-League: For Kashmir, this is the true face of Churchill

Kashmir has shown that he was not intimidated by his reputation. (Source: Real Kashmir FC's Twitter)

Until 2014, Muhammad Hammad dreamed of being a cricketer. Drummer of average order, he was among the best young hopefuls of Jammu and Kashmir. So good, in fact, that it was almost obvious that the 17-year-old would make the cup for CK Nayudu's state-of-the-art workforce in 2014. Hammad impressed even at the selections, a Two-day match at the Sher- i-Kashmir stadium, where he scored a quick 72 points, two fewer than the top scorer of the match.

A few days later, he returned to the stadium to check whether he had managed to qualify. "The floods occurred just one day after the selection tests. So I went home to check if everything was fine. When I came back to see if my name was on the list, I discovered that the team was already gone for the tournament, "said Hammad. Since that day, he has not touched his cricket equipment. "There is a lot of politics in this sport. My dream was broken. "

READ | Abdul Majeed Kakroo: The history of football in the valley

In an attempt to move on, Hammad turned to football. He was playing with his friends on a lot near his home in Batamaloo, when former Indian captain Abdul Majeed Kakroo saw him. Hammad was 18 years old at the time. Today, he finds himself in the highest division of Indian football.

In a certain way, the ascent of Hammad is in the image of that of Real Kashmir. They were also launched in 2014. And on Tuesday, they will make their home debut against former Churchill Brothers champions at TRC Ground. We have done so much about the occasion – it's the first game of the I-League to be played in Kashmir -, football has completely disappeared. (19659006] Real Kashmir team with coach David Robertson a training match in New Delhi this weekend (Source: Photo Express by Abhinav Saha / File)

David Robertson, Scotland's Kashmir coach, understands the enormity of Tuesday's game, but insists that players focus on the match . "It will be another creative day we have history … we are enthusiastic but focused, "he said.

It would be a bit unfair to call Real Kashmir a group of unscrupulous players, but they are betting on unknown amounts like Hammad to surprise his opponents. It was their trump card throughout the second division last season, and the postman saw them beat defending champion Minerva in their own backyard last week.

The victory was not convincing, however. The first half was pedestrian for both teams and while Kashmir was slightly better in the second half, Robertson hopes the quality gap between his team and the others will not begin to show as the season progresses.

The Real Kashmir footballers s'. train at TRC Turf Ground in Srinagar on Sunday. They face the Churchill brothers on Tuesday. (Photo: Mihir Vasavda)

From Churchill's point of view, the anonymity of Kashmir players is not a concern. The weather also adds an element of uncertainty. Sunday, Churchill players shivered in the central circle, listening to the instructions of their Romanian coach, Petre Gigiu. Most of them had never seen the snow, let alone training on it. "The conditions are difficult. We do not know much about the team or the weather. But it's going to be fun, "said Gigiu.

Churchill is one of the contenders for the title this season and has a more talented and experienced team than Kashmir. But Kashmir has shown that he is not intimidated by his reputation. For them, the fairy tale has just begun. And in front of a covered ground, they hoped that their mastodon would continue.

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