Short man, tall deeds
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P.C. Riju is small in physical stature but possesses a titanic heart. The daredevil Railways striker never backs down during a combat on the football field.
The pocket-sized dynamo takes on defenders, who are mostly double his size, with panache. In Railways’ opening match against Mizoram at the national tournament, Riju was at his electrifying best.
Riju scored the second goal in his team’s 2-2 draw against the northeastern state. Known for his dribbling skills, the agile forward weaved his way past a handful of defenders near the edge of the box on the right before cutting inside.
Without wasting any time, he looked around for options and when he didn’t find any, the little man unleashed a monstrous left-footer screaming into the top corner. The silky manoeuvre and a stupendous finish brought the crowd on their feet.
In the early minutes of the game, the same gathering let out a groan in unison when Riju came close to breaking the deadlock through a mouth-watering bicycle kick which was eventually parried away brilliantly by Mizoram custodian F. Vanlalrua.
“It is always important to take the lead in high-pressure matches. C. Sirajuddin and myself share a good understanding as we turn out for Southern Railway in the Chennai league.
As soon as I saw him making a run on the right flank, I knew he would pick me out with his cross. The assist was, however, a bit high and was moving away from me.
I had to go for it and the acrobatic kick was made instinctively. I was confident of pulling it off but the goalie was equal to the task,” said Riju.
A native of Kannur in Kerala, Riju has made Chennai his home. Representing TN during the 2009 Santosh Trophy, Riju scooped the golden boot for scoring the maximum number of goals.
When asked if he misses playing for the adoptive state, Riju replied: “Yes, I enjoyed playing in the Tamil Nadu colours, but I work for Railways now and I love representing my employer.”
Railways, who reached last year’s Santosh Trophy semi-finals after a gap of 15 years, rewarded their players handsomely.
“When we reached the semis last year, we were given promotions as well as increments. Our department will surely do the same if we reach the final this time,” added the Southern Railway ticket examiner.
For Riju, the best compliment of the day perhaps came when a Santosh Trophy regular, while leaving the stadium, was overheard informing his friend over the mobile phone: “Aaj ke din ka hero toh Rizzu hi hai” (The hero in today’s matches is definitely Riju).
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