Coaching underprivileged children so they realise their football dreams: Subrata Paul

NEW DELHI: Subrata Paul, considered one of India's best goalkeepers, earned 67 caps for the national football team winning the SAFF Championship once and Nehru Cup twice. His illustrious career spanned over 16 years.
His performances under the bar against Australia and Korea Republic during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar earned him the nickname ‘Spiderman’.He also won the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2016 and hung up his boots last year at the age of 36. Excerpts from his interview…
How has life been post-retirement? Do you miss being on the field, and what are you currently involved with, both in football and outside of it?
As a human being, I believe in giving back to society and making a positive impact. Beyond my professional pursuits, I find solace in reaching out, and some of my efforts include empowering kids of sex workers in Kolkata through football coaching, tournaments, and equipment distribution at my academy, impacting over 200 fatherless kids. We are coaching over 500 underprivileged children (girls and boys) and counting at my football academy. I am leading my NGO, SP One, aiming at the empowerment of women and the protection of animal rights—contributing and helping shelters. We are introducing football ethics and philosophy to drug addicts and patients in an effort to keep them away from vices. We have formed ‘Players for Humanity,’ an organization comprising 45+ retired professional players, including former national team captains and Arjuna Award winners, contributing and raising funds through football programs and exhibition matches to be in sync with social causes. I am promoting the ‘Make in India’ brand—exporting my own brand of tyres to Africa, contributing to India’s revenue. I provide recruitment to many families through my small-scale industry, helping them earn a living, among other efforts.
Tell us more about AIPL FC. Can you give us more insight into what this project is all about?
It’s my baby. (smiles). It’s the platform for my academy players – both boys and girls to go and play at the highest level. I understand that unless they get game time, the transition process will hit them hard. And it gives me immense pride when all these kids go on to sign for the big clubs, allowing them to make a future for themselves. I want to take AIPL FC to the I-League. It’s one step at a time.
You’re fondly known as the 'Spiderman' of Indian football. How does it feel to have earned that title, and what has been your proudest moment on the field?
As a player, that was a motivation for me to realise that I am doing the job right. If post-match, Mark Schwarzer, a hero of two World Cups, and a regular for Chelsea, Fulham, Leicester City, Middlesbrough comes and knocks the Indian Dressing room asking to exchange his goalkeeping jersey with me – I will always be left speechless. The tag stayed with me all throughout, and wherever I have travelled since then – all over Asia and even in Europe – people still refer to me as the ‘Spiderman’. I do have plenty of individual accolades but playing a team sport as football, I will never put any individual above the team. That I was the Number 1 in a country of 1.5 billion will always be my proudest moment. After all, there are 10 players on the field, but only one goalkeeper.
With Sunil Chhetri’s retirement, how do you see Indian football evolving? What does the future hold for the team in this post-Chhetri era?
It’s not just an individual’s retirement. It’s a team sport, and we need to understand that – the sooner the better. The potential is huge, but that’s a kind of cliché. It’s time to deliver – right from players to the staff and all stakeholders. We need to take the onus, otherwise, we will remain stagnant. I wait for a chance with a timeframe of 10 years, without any intervention from any – and I am confident of taking the team to knock at the doors of the World Cup – both men and women. I know that’s possible.
India’s recent Olympic performances indicate a lot of potential, but we still seem to lag behind, especially when compared to cricket. What changes do you think are necessary to elevate our performance in other sports?
The societal approach needs to change. Every 4 years we wake up and mention that we haven’t done well. Athletes will try their best and there has been a huge improvement in the Indian sports paradigm in the last 10 years. But have we wakened up as a society yet? Are we ready to push our kids into sport? Are we game to our kids playing sport? Till the time, we aren’t, let’s not complain.
Could you share details about your involvement with Woxsen University? What is your take on its sports infrastructure, and how do you see it contributing to the growth of sports?
I have been fortunate to travel the world and have always been in awe of the sporting infrastructure abroad, which has long been lacking in India. However, on my first visit to Woxsen University, I was completely amazed. What struck me the most was the thoughtful planning behind the investment—an effort to bridge the gap between sports and academics. I urge all stakeholders— the Government, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), the corporate world, and club and franchise owners—to take note of these facilities and use them to nurture champions for India across all fields.
What advice would you offer to young aspiring athletes and your fans?
Follow your passion. Believe in yourself. Be patient. You cannot achieve it in one day. But you certainly will.