“Dada sorry for not being able to return your call the other day,” Renedy (Singh) seemed apologetic. But he was quick to add, “How would you rate my performance against Mohun Bagan?”. For the record, Rahim Nabi scored one of his two goals from his freekick in East Bengal’s memorable 3-0 win over Bagan in a crucial I-League match in Kolkata.
Whether its his vicious free-kicks or scorching runs down the left, the Manipuri medio hasn’t lost that element of touch even after completing a decade in football. A regular for the Indian team since his senior debut in 1996, Rennedy appears the most settled player after Baichung Bhutia in an Indian side that has witnessed constant change in the last couple of years.
But for him the last two years (2005, 2006) had been pretty difficult. He was out of the national squad for a year-and-a-half followed by a niggling knee injury which forced him to leave the glam world of Calcutta football, and later found himself out of favour with the national coaches. Still, Renedy didn’t threw in the towel.
In 2004, the Manipuri-born medio scored his fourth international goal against Singapore in a pre-World Cup qualifier. Close on the heels of that stupendous show, he earned an impressive club deal; Mohun Bagan appointed him their captain in that year. But things didn’t turn out to his expectations.
Mohun Bagan was his last big club in 2004 before he joined JCT. He felt that he was forced to leave Kolkata as things weren’t that conducive in Bagan. Besides the club didn’t clear his dues. Things weren’t on his side.
True. 2004 had been a topsy-turvy year for him. Bagan released him midway and he was reduced to a non-entity in Kolkata football. He wanted to join East Bengal but the strange transfer contracts between Bagan and East Bengal had shut the door on him — he was out of football and out of club. After a brief spell in one low-profile club in Kolkata, Rennedy finally took the toughest of all decisions: bid adueu to Kolkata football.
Later Rennedy found solace in National colours in 2006, though it came after two years. “In 2005-06 I had performed well with JCT. But still didn’t get a national call. But finally, I guess the justice has been done to my hard work.”
Far away from the hype of Kolkata football, life became a wee-bit difficult for Renedy in Phagwara. “JCT have the best of football facilities. Bt it was a new place for me. And like any newcomer it was becoming tough to adjust.” Yet, he survived the toughest of moments — both as a player and an individual — and seldom lost hope for a revival.
was wondering if you could do a profiling of the indian football team… that would be great! considering the fact that many people have very little idea about their own team members, an insight into their career moves would definitely be a welcomed piece 🙂
sure