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A Good Player in the Making

4 July 2008

Yeshey Dorji is one of the most promising players in the Bhutanese national team. As the lone striker, he played a big part in the team’s recent success at the SAFF competition. And at twenty one, he is still one of the youngest members of the team.

The reasons behind his success are many. He says that picking up the game quite early in his childhood has helped him learn fast and make an early impact. He made his debut for the senior national team at the age of nineteen- having already played at the junior levels for the preceding three years. “It helped that my parents saw potential in me and supported me through my developing years,” he said. “Those are crucial years in one’s life and it is a make or break situation.

Most of my friends who played better than me didn’t continue, mostly because their parents wanted them to spend more time studying than wasting time playing. However, I continued playing, and I cannot thank my parents enough for that,” he added. He also acknowledges the benefits of the many coaching camps that he was able to attend.

However, Yeshey faced just as many challenges in his career and continues to face still more. Balancing academics and football was always tough. He had to play it safe by concentrating on his studies.

“After all, we cannot still make a decent living just by playing football in Bhutan,” Yeshey said. And justifying his fears, Dinesh Chettri, the national team manager, said that the highest a footballer can get playing the game full time is about Nu 8,000. That, needless to say, is hardly attractive enough.

Yeshey has just finished his graduation and is at a crossroads in his life. He can either look for a secure job in the government like so many others before him did or take a chance and try becoming a pro. He hinted that he might possibly look for a job in the government while continuing to play as an amateur. Asked about the chances of becoming a professional in Bhutan, Dinesh said that as of now, there is no professional league here. But he added that a few clubs have expressed interest in some players at the SAFF tournament. He also said that Yeshey might be among those players because he had done well. The manager, though, is not exactly happy with Yeshey’s development. He said that Yeshey lost precious years because back in his college in Kanglung , he could not keep up the intense training for professional requirements.

It would be a pity if someone like Yeshey with all the promises he has shown cannot pursue his dream because practical needs dictate otherwise.

For the Bhutanese team to keep doing consistently well after the highs of the SAFF tournament, and to keep moving up the FIFA rankings, it needs young players like him to keep their dreams alive.


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Posted by Bhutan Observer · Filed Under Sports 

Comments

One Response to “A Good Player in the Making”

  1. eze collins on July 26th, 2008 10:34 am

    eze collins i envy him cos his got lots of potentials and a good fighting spirit which make him a better striker i wish him well in his game but for d national team i think dey should get more support frm d country cos this guys risk alot for there beloved country and get so little most of this players can not be professional players with such earning pls help bhutanes football grow

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