'I want to see other kids achieve what I could not'

Some of the top talents groomed by Al Ethihad have already made it big and is representing U-17 Indian team.

Arakkal Kamaruddhin, 42, had a dream - to wear the Indian national football jersey and play for his country. But as a non-resident Indian kid who grew up in the UAE, all doors were closed in front of him. 
Decades later, this Indian expat in Abu Dhabi is still chasing his dream - through hundreds of students he trains at his sports academy.
"I want to see other kids achieve what I could not. There are so many talented children out there and I want to train and groom them to be national players of tomorrow," said Kamaruddhin, founder and president of Al Ethihad Sports Academy in Abu Dhabi. The academy trains more than 2,000 students in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain and India.
Some of the top talents groomed by Al Ethihad have already made it big and is representing U-17 Indian team. For instance, Jacob John, one of the Al Ethihad prodigy is currently playing for Bangalore FC; Sahal Abdul Samad, another student from the academy, is playing in Santhosh Trophy and ISL team Kerala Blasters.
Though he was an avid footballer and captained his school team, there was no one to guide Kamarudhin to reach the big league. 
"In the 80's, most of the football clubs in Abu Dhabi did not admit expat students. So after topping Grade 12 exams, I went to India to pursue business administration."
But Kamaruddhin had to discontinue his studies and come back to the UAE after his father suffered some business setbacks.
"In 1995, I took up a job as check-in staff at Abu Dhabi Airport Services. After two-and-a-half years, I joined China Airlines and has been with them for the last 20 years," said Kamaruddhin, who is the regional manager of the airline. He is married to Nimmi, and has three children - Rayyan 17, Rihan 13 and Rihanaa 6.
But the sportsman in Kamarudhin wanted to do more than just earn a business management degree and make a decent living. Out of his passion for football was Al Ethihad Sports Academy born in 2012.
"When my son started to show some football talent, I wanted to help him. At that time, his school was in a villa compound, and there was hardly any facility to play sport. Many sports schools were expensive and hence out of reach for Indian parents.
Kamaruddhin hired top-notch coaches from the UK and with just 20 students, launched his academy by renting existing sports facilities at Al Jazeera Club and other schools. With a nominal fee of Dh400 and less per month, Al Ethihad became the game-changer in fulfilling the sporting ambitions of hundreds of Indian expat children. 
"Within five years, we have become a full-fledged organisation with more than 3,000 students training under us and 18 football coaches. Al Ethihad is soon opening new branches in Sharjah, Ajman and Oman.
"My next mission is to spot talents under the age of 10 and 12 through an Indian School League competition in October 2017. I want to train the students for the 2021 World Cup and see them play the World Cup," said Kamaruddhin.
anjana@khaleejtimes.com
 

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi