My target is to play for my country, asserts Hira Mondal

The SC East Bengal left-back has been performing consistently in the ISL 2021-22 season.

SC East Bengal have finished right at the bottom of the table with 11 points from 20 appearances this season. On the other hand, Hira Mondal has turned out to be someone who has earned the limelight this season through his splendid performance in almost every game. Hailing from a humble family, working his way up and salvaging a place in the top flight of the sport wasn’t an easy task. But, the defender has overcome the difficulties through his hard work, determination to excel and consistency.

A few days ago Khel Now interacted with Hira Mondal. Here is what he had to say.

[KH_ADWORDS type="4" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

Difference between ISL & other competitions

Hira Mondal has played in leagues such as the I-League and the Calcutta Football League. Currently, plying his trade for SC East Bengal, Mondal has turned out to be a lethal component for Mario Rivera’s side in the Indian Super League.

He was asked about the differences he has noticed between the ISL and the other competitions. The left-back quipped, “ISL is the top league of our country. The difference is huge. In the Calcutta Football League, we don’t have quality foreigners. The same goes for Indian players as well. Comparatively, the quality of the players in I-League is better. In the ISL, there are top quality foreigners and Indians playing in the league. There is a difference in infrastructure as well.”

Experience under coaches this season

This season saw an overhaul of the squad at SC East Bengal. The Kolkata giants initially brought in Manolo Diaz as their chief tactician, but after a few matches the parties parted ways with each other. In the meantime, Renedy Singh took charge as the interim head coach. Finally, the club hired the services of Mario Rivera.

Mondal was asked about his experience under the coaches. He started with his former experience under a foreign coach and added about the Spanish coaches at SC East Bengal. “I didn’t face much problem because at Mohammedan SC we had a foreign coach. Hence, I knew what they liked. My English isn’t good therefore I faced some problems. But, I sought help from the seniors when I couldn’t understand what the coach meant. I have learnt a lot from them since they come from a reputed coaching background."

[KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

On Renedy Singh & Mario Rivera

Mondal was all praise for Renedy Singh. “There were talks about Indian players that they don’t have the quality to participate in the ISL. Renedy Singh proved the calibre of Indian footballers and showed that if the players are used properly then the they can surely perform better in the future. He showed us the path.”

Regarding Mario Rivera, Mondal opined, “I knew Mario Rivera beforehand. I couldn’t train under him previously (2018/19) at East Bengal. I just trained hardly for 2-3 days. He is a good human being and also a very good coach. He doesn’t only look after the on-field activities but also other things. He keeps a timely check on what the players are eating.

He further added about Rivera, "The main thing is he can mix well with the players. He questions the players directly about their problems and looks after getting a solution. It feels good to work with him. I have to improve many areas of my play, such as my positioning. He guides me well in the rectification part. He is a very important coach for me. I needed this because I never received this before in my life."

On his consistency

Hira Mondal has been the most consistent player for SC East Bengal this season. The 25-year-old has been witnessed giving his 100% in each and every game. When asked about the secret to his consistency, Mondal quipped, “There is no secret. We players play for our club and the supporters and our career. We try to give our best in every match. But, we are lacking in something. Some days I do well, some days I can’t do well. Strikers are missing goals. We are conceding due to our defensive lapses. Other players are also motivating themselves to do well."

[KH_ADWORDS type="2" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

He also shared his ambition to play for India. “I am motivating myself as well because my target is to play for our country. I have to improve daily. I look towards rectifying my mistakes after every match, so I don’t repeat it in the next game. Coach points out my main mistakes which I should rectify to reach my goal faster. I think about doing the same. I am always determined to fight till the end, whether it is the first minute or the 98th minute. I express whatever I possess out there on the field.”

Experience in Kolkata Derby

Hira Mondal has played Kolkata Derbies both at a junior and senior level. Notably, he has also scored (a goal) in one in the U-19 I-League. He reflected on his experience of participating in such a high-voltage match. “I have grown up watching the Kolkata Derby. This is the first time I played a derby at the senior level, that too in Goa, in the absence of the fans. Having the fans around gives a different energy and motivation. I missed that. In Kolkata, I played the U-19 derby in 2014. If the fans would have been there in Goa, we shall have been more motivated and performed better.”

On the bio-bubble

Almost each and every player or the coaches have complained about the bio-secured bubble in the past two seasons. The left-back pointed out both the positives and the negatives of the bubble, which he experienced, “The bubble is a mental torture. It’s difficult to stay in a bubble for 5-6 months. We can’t go out. We only go out to train and then we are back in the hotel. Other than that, during the matches we can go out. Even if there is a bad result, we have to stay inside. If we can go out, we will feel fresh. It is tough to motivate ourselves inside a bubble. Other than that, there is a positive side, that we are staying together as a family. An understanding and combination grow up among the team when we stay together like this.”

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News |ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

SC East Bengal lacked in quality to other teams

On-paper, SC East Bengal probably looked weaker than their opponents. The club even lacked depth in the squad. Hira Mondal shared his opinion, saying, “In other teams, the foreigners score at the right time and utilize the opportunities when they arrive. The main problem for us is the finishing. It happens that we were playing well, but due to a mistake we conceded a goal and lost the match. The finishing is not at its best.

“If we got the goals at the right time, then we could have been in a better position. In the first leg we drew the big games – for example, Jamshedpur FC, Chennaiyin FC, Hyderabad FC and Mumbai City. If we got all points from those games then we would have been in the top four,” the defender concluded.

For more football updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.