Many footballers face fairly troublesome occasions, after they want to go underneath the knife to appropriate accidents sustained on the pitch. It isn’t solely the bodily restoration that they’ve to take care of, however they’re additionally always aware of the uncertainty of the restoration course of, and the way lengthy it might take.
However, even in such attempting occasions, the ‘Beautiful Game’ has its personal means of bringing folks collectively. Bangladesh males’s soccer crew striker Nabib Newaj Jibon had come throughout the border to Kolkata for surgical procedure earlier in April, solely to discover a guardian angel in somebody who he barely knew prior to this journey to the ‘City of Joy.’
“I never really knew Pritam-da (Kotal, India defender) personally, before this trip to Kolkata,” Jibon informed AIFF.
“Yes, I had heard about him. I have played against him for my National Team. But we were never properly acquainted.”
In reality, it was one in all Jibon’s teammates from the Bangladesh nationwide crew, Raihan Hasan, who launched the Bangladesh striker with the Indian males’s nationwide crew defender.
“I’ve been well acquainted with Mamunul-bhai (Islam) and Raihan. In fact, it was Raihan, who took a lot of initiative and approached me about Jibon. I was told that he was coming to Kolkata, and requested me to look after him during his stay here,” stated Pritam.
Pritam immediately agreed to assist out his fellow footballer from throughout the border.
“Of course, if someone comes across the border, we need to take care of him. We may be from different countries, but at the end of the day we are all from the footballing community, and we need to take care of each other,” stated Pritam. “He’s like a brother from across the border.”
Once Jibon was in Kolkata, he had arrange at a lodge that was fairly shut to Pritam’s home, and the latter, alongside along with his girlfriend Sonela Paul left no stone unturned to assist Jibon.
“Pritam-da and Sonela-di both provided so much support when I was there in Kolkata,” Jibon stated. “The main thing that they provided me was the mental support. That was very important — especially because I was in a city where I did not know anybody.”
“They used to visit me every day at the hospital, and at my hotel. I could not move around much after my surgery. But they would often come around and get different things for me – whatever I’d require. They’d even check on whether I’ve had my meals properly every day, and that meant a lot,” Jibon added.
While Pritam couldn’t go go to Jibon in the direction of the tip of the latter’s keep due to sure COVID-safety protocols in his locality, it was Sonela who stepped up and made positive that the Bangladesh striker was in a position to get again throughout the border, even though his flight was cancelled.
Pritam despatched his driver and his automotive together with Sonela, to choose up Jibon and take him all the best way to the India-Bangladesh border in Benapole, close to the city of Bongaon.
“We also contacted the Petrapole immigration authorities and, got a permission from them. The BSF at Benapol also helped a lot. They reached in the morning, but there was a long wait till the evening, and finally he was allowed to cross the border,” stated Pritam. “There were some difficulties, but the good thing is that the surgery was successful, and that he was able to get back across the border without much hassle.”
Jibon’s membership Basundhara Kings are set to play towards Pritam’s facet ATK Mohun Bagan within the AFC Cup in May, whereas Bangladesh are set to play India within the World Cup Qualifier in Qatar, later this yr. While the now recovering Jibon could also be out of rivalry for each the matches, the 2 footballers who had solid a sturdy friendship on this quick time period, are wanting ahead to face one another on the pitch as soon as once more.
“Since his operation was successful, I’d very much like to see him return to the pitch soon. Even if he can’t return in time for the AFC Cup matches, it’s not that big a deal. I just hope that he gets well soon and can return to the pitch. It will be great to play against him. I pray to God for his speedy recovery,” stated Pritam.
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