Sk Sahil: The competition is with none other than myself

The 20-year-old midfielder spoke about his experience in the Indian Super League so far.

“I have tried to do whatever the coach has told me to do and I felt really well after the game. We had a good game and we scored a couple of goals, so overall a good way to start the New Year,” said ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder Sk Sahil after his first start of the season against NorthEast United last week in the Indian Super League. The 20-year-old hailing from West Bengal, in an exclusive chat with Khel Now, expressed his thoughts on the campaign so far.   

Speaking about the mentality before the game, Sk Sahil said, “I motivated myself to bring out the best on the field. I have always tried to help the team in whatever means I can and whenever given chances. So, the mentality was the same.”

Sk Sahil rose through the ranks at the Mohun Bagan academy before making his way into their I-League squad last season. He was one of the key men in Kibu Vicuna’s starting lineup and played a pivotal role behind the Mariners’ triumph. The promising defensive midfielder was one of the three players signed by the new ISL entity from Mohun Bagan this season and has made his way into Antonio Habas’ good books in a very short span of time. Being one of the youngest players in the squad, Sk Sahil is always looked after and taken care of by the senior players. 

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“All the seniors in the team are continuously helping me and pushing me to do better every day. Before the match, Pritam da (Kotal) told me to keep calm and play my natural game. He told me that they are all there to stand beside me.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWfXLjVBtOc

Asked about the competition in the team for his position, the youngster sounded quite mature in his viewpoint, as he thinks it’s more important to become a better player than to compete for the position. He said, “I always try to prove myself in training as I continue to work hard. The rest is on the coach to decide. The competition in the team further pushes me to do better and I always try to play my best game, be it in training or the match.” 

He further added, “I think the competition is with none other than myself, to be a better version of me every day. That’s how I want to develop and earn my spot in the team.”

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Sk Sahil also shared his experience from his first ISL campaign till now, saying, “This season has been a great learning experience for me so far. The game at this level is faster and we need to think more rapidly with the ball.” 

He further stated that he thinks it’s a continuous development process while in the ISL. “I am learning every day from foreigners like Carl (McHugh), Edu (Garcia) and Roy (Krishna). They are great players and we have a lot to learn from them, not only on the pitch but also off the pitch. How they take care of their diet and their fitness is really a very important lesson for me,” said Sk Sahil as he signed off.

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