Indian fans deserve to see their country in the World Cup, says Yan Dhanda

This is the second part of the Yan Dhanda interview series.

Indian-origin football player Yan Dhanda spoke exclusively on Khel Now’s ‘Beyond the Scores’ podcast on various topics related to his football career. In the first part, Yan Dhanda discussed his conversation with AIFF General Secretary Shaji Prabhakaran and shared his views on matters related to OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India).

In this part, he expresses his desire to represent the country and what drives him to play for India in the future.

Desire to play for India

Yan Dhanda, who currently plies his trade for Ross County, said, “I have the OCI card ready and now it is up to the Indian Football Federation and Indian Government to let it happen and in future, it will turn out to be beneficial. I am desperate to play for India and connect with fans and show what I can do. The fans deserve to see their country play in the World Cup, which is the biggest tournament. So players like me from Europe can help the team succeed and play in bigger tournaments.”

“Obviously the circumstances are difficult at the moment but we are waiting for the agreement to happen. Also, on the other hand, players from ISL can also play in Europe if the FIFA rankings get below a certain mark - which is ultimately everyone's dream (of playing in top European clubs),” he added. 

Take on the 'Publicity' stunt 

Rio Ferdinand's tweet on Yan Dhanda was the starting point for the discussion. The former Manchester United player loved Yan’s style of play and tweeted, ”Love it Yan Dhanda, surely Indian National team”. AIFF's General Secretary Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran had responded to this post. To Shaji's response, Yan tweeted, “Giving up my passport means I can’t play professionally in the UK and some European clubs, due to India’s FIFA ranking. Permitting OCI cards, similar to other countries, will allow me to represent the Indian football team as a dual national. I hope this can happen soon."

A common question asked by the public is why do athletes suddenly raise questions against the existing rules. The 24-year-old star cheekily said, “I don't see any point in people who say that I’m doing this for publicity. If wanted to, I could have done it many years ago but I am taking this as an opportunity to express, how much I want to play for India. I will keep doing it until hopefully, we have an agreement where I can come and represent India.”

He further iterated, “As I said before, it will be massive for the country. People all over the world have tough times and I think sports bring people together. A 90-minute football (game) gives people happiness and during game time, people also tend to forget the problems and struggles they are going through in their life. The fans deserve to see their country play and win matches in the World Cup and in the process can also bring so many people together.”