 We've always got a good mentality and we've had some hurdles to overcome all season and last season and the players are pretty adaptable and whatever's thrown at them they seem to come up and do well and overcome any hurdle so there's no issue. Obviously we'd like to have played in TRC but obviously that's not possible so you know we can't complain we just come in we're playing in a nice venue so we'll go and enjoy it. In case you didn't know it already you're watching 420g here on newsclick.in I'm with Leslie Xavier and Arjun Pandit hi guys how's it going? That was David Robinson the head coach the Scottish head coach of Real Kashmir FC who are playing their next home game in Delhi and hopefully we'll all get to watch that game. Well I mean they seem pretty positive from the sounds of it. He has to motivate his players and they obviously would be a little dejected because their last match of the season last home game. Of the season at a venue that's been extremely popular it's proved to be like a bit of a social hub in Srinagar where like one of the few places where thousands of people come together and celebrate sport and there's nothing sort of political or we're at the business end of the iLeague right. They're in the running. Real Kashmir debuting in the league playing up against a club Chennai City FC which were in a relegation battle last season and have also revitalized themselves. They've got money injection from Europe etc. doing extremely well and producing some really talented players from the south of India which is a refreshing change. So on the one hand you have the attacking style of Chennai City and the way they're playing their football under the coach Nawaz and on the other hand you have this hardcore like English defensive coach who's playing that kind of football. Route 1 like park the bus whatever you want to call it but getting the job done with they have Real Kashmir technically have because the three points for the Minerva game haven't been awarded they have which puts them currently 4 point Chennai City. 46 what they need let's get to the basics what they need is 43 Chennai to win the league if they get 43 points the rest doesn't matter so the game is still very much in Chennai's hands but what we're talking about of course is the fact that this game is actually happening at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium instead of TRC in Srinagar. But let's not forget here East Bengal b is in the title race East Bengal ke baas bhi abhi Tainthe Sankh hai. Uske baad I think they have two more games to play so this is potentially a cash between the top three they said two versus three was second versus third is taking on each other a game which has been played in Delhi which is a neutral venue because of course the political climate uska madhla uspe ap kuch karmit sakta hai. But my point being after when you spoke to the coach also like we said he is going to project and positive outlook because agar uska outlook ki negative rahaa aur usne ka aaya hain haan maale sahadi kiye hum ho rahe hai yaa sab toh that will creep into his place somewhere or the other and you can't let that derail what you've been doing for last one year because the end product is to do the best that you can in the I-League. And I think already their objectives are met. I think they far exceeded their objectives and if you, when we talk to Vishwa Kamath who will join us a little later on the show as well. He also told me that our objectives were to stay in the league. Now here you are telling me that you can win the league. If you can't win, then you can go. First time and that too from such a part of the country where there is so much turmoil where sometimes there is no ground to play, where it feels so curfew that you have to secretly go to play football. I think that in itself is a huge achievement and a major story in itself. I need to reiterate it first as well. It means that they are here to play and try and win because it's a big match. There's a lot of things at stake. Obviously they would have allowed playing at home because there is, one can't help but wonder that there is a feeling that this would be a home ground for, home match for East Bengal. East Bengal more than Kashmir because of the stadium dynamics involved. Even the coach pointed out that I don't think any of the crowd who ever would come in would be our supporters. Yes, but of course because of political climate, of course journalists would come here. It's a big story in itself. But before moving on, let's hear about the coach because we talked to the coach. They were practicing in Ambedkar Stadium a day before when their match was in Nehru Stadium. We'll talk about that as well. But first of all, let's hear the coach's thoughts on what they are saying and how they are getting ready for this big game with East Bengal at the Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. It's good to be similar to playing Salt Lake. We went there and we drew with East Bengal. We beat Mohan Bagan. So we can adapt to playing our own home pitch which is tight and narrow. This is obviously a bigger pitch. Again, the players will enjoy it. It's a fantastic place to stay. It's a good experience. A lot of the players maybe have never played there. And we did well against the big open stadium at Salt Lake. So hopefully it's the same sort of venue. It's just a game that we'll enjoy. Yeah, there's a big excitement. We've obviously disappointed we lost a goal at the end of the game against Indian Arrows. But we've defended so well all season, the best defensive record. But we always know it's going to be difficult. Even if we win the next three games, which is going to be very difficult to do, we've still got to hope that teams slip up. But whatever happens between now and the end of the season, it's been a great season, a great run. If we finished second, third, fourth, first, whatever, it's a fantastic season and obviously we've got the Super Cup to look forward to. We'll finish the season here hopefully in a high and go with confidence in the Super Cup. It's the same as everything. I think there's a great bond between the players and the supporters. It's a pity that they couldn't get to see East Bengal playing their own patch. They had a great time when Mohan Bagan was there. But the six away games we had on the road, I think all the players at the back of the mind knew that they were playing for the supporters and we just want to make the supporters proud so that who knows if we'll play another game there this season. But hopefully next season they'll come back again next season and support the boys because it's been a great journey. So no surprises here I guess guys. I mean we've been involved with this sport for several years. Or any sport for that matter and how things are run. Everything is quite ad hoc. The idea is to make do and just like so... But what can you do in this? What happened there, that is unforeseeable and these are extraordinary circumstances and I mean it would be weird if you were continuing the I-League given what is happening right now in that part of the country. So you had no other option but to shift it to Delhi? No, of course. There's no question in shifting to Delhi but the way AFF for the league in itself have gone about organising the match here and starting with you are taking a home team to play in a... You saw what's happening there. It's a serious situation, security situation. You say Kashmir's match with East Bengal. One match is already in High Court so they're going to get three points. If you send the second match to High Court then the Chinnai City FC will stand up and say, what's going on here? So the match has to be played, right? So Delhi that way is closest in terms of infrastructure, everything. I was saying as positive that whatever happens somehow it keeps going. You're on that stage of the league right now. It's on its last legs might as well shoot the horse and be done with it. No, but my point is that what if the I-League is not there next season. Given what is happening there, Kashmir and whatever they do right now, that in itself could be a major positive spin-off for the people over there. It was already that. So my point being that these people, their region is in so much turmoil right? We guys are sitting here in our gloves houses and seeing whatever is happening their region is in so much turmoil. If you shift a match and we're sitting here saying that it's going to be very difficult that you've come to the other ground in such a crucial juncture that also versus a tough team like East Bengal, I think if there is any team that is equipped to handle that situation, are these boys from Kashmir? Because they've seen so much. They've secretly gone to play football. So if you tell them that nothing has happened, get up switch off and switch on again in Delhi. If there is one team then that is Real Kashmir for me. Then again what I was getting into the point was that you have shifted the venue and it is unforeseeable. You have to do it, security reasons and all those things. But when you are shifting it as a league, you should ensure that at least give that home team some exposure to the grand stadium that they're going to play in. It's a huge stadium that are coming in and you are giving the advantage to the visiting team because they are used to playing in Salt Lake Stadium. I have a feeling again that this comes down to an issue of cash money. Like to book a ground costs a certain amount of money and perhaps it was cheaper and easier to book Ambedkar Stadium for a practice session than Nehru Stadium. I think. I'll tell you exactly. We reached Ambedkar Stadium where the team is practicing. First thing because you know you've been around, why aren't you practicing in Nehru if Nehru is matching? So I went down, I asked the manager what are you doing here? Why aren't you going to Nehru? He said no, and he's pointing to the young AIFF boy who's over there. The AIFF boy is telling me no, it's not mandatory because then I spoke to Ishwak Ahmed who's worked with Jamshedpore FC and everything. He said ISL man made a rule that T-1, one day before the game, they won't give you the ground because they feel the ground is not being able to then be recovering time for the game properly. So I think they're doing the same rule here because on that ground, ISL is also playing. And on that ground, you basically have a guest so availability etc etc. So as a result there's a big ground from Ambedkar Stadium and where you play in Kashmir there's also a small ground. So when you play in a big ground, the game spreads. If the game spreads then you have more time on the ball. If you have more time on the ball then the intensity of the game is reduced by a game. So for a team like you said is a well-drilled side that is playing with power, punch, getting you on the counter. This will have an effect on them. What sort of effect though? Good or bad? I think it will have a bad effect on them because East Bengal is used to playing on Salt Lake here. I think they won't be able to get the ball up to T-1. No, I don't know. They won't be able to get the ball up to them but my point being if you're a Vice player, 11-11, among those 11 are playing in East Bengal's Salt Lake and 11 are playing in Ambedkar or Kashmir. Who would you say before the ball is kicked has the advantage of using the field properly? It would be East Bengal. Given Kashmir's away from home form though, I would say like, even going from I think we counted that they've been unbeaten away from home for a while I think. And if you count the sort of 13 games that they played in the 2nd division to like because that's a winless run an undefeated run to go into the ILE. It's a really long run of games unbeaten away from home. My point which I want to say is that if I'm used to playing on a small field then my entire shape and structure is very close in it. Suddenly I have gone to a wider ground. My team opens up there. I have to change everything. Right? And if you're not going to let me play there one day, then basically I am getting an idea when I'm starting. So for the first 15 minutes I'll have an idea of what I have to do and what's going to happen. And if East Bengal scores a goal then I'm on. And great record not withstanding this is crunch. These players have not faced a situation like this ever. So at that point you throw in a spanner into the equation and then it becomes tricky. So Kashmir has been taken out of the home and they have been denied home advantage. That's the point. That's what I was trying to convey. This is that complete backs against the wall situation for no fault of theirs or anyone's to be honest. And then you didn't get the ground to train at such a crucial stage where three points are necessary so that you're in the title because if Kashmir and East Bengal draw here then pretty much over. Chennai will only need three points. One point will work. So I think Ishfaq is somebody who has grown up in this environment started playing his football in Kashmir and is very closely engaged with the sport in the state still. Ishfaq what sort of do you think these guys are well prepared to handle this sort of situation ? Hi guys it's really unfortunate for real Kashmir to play their away match away from the home. Usually football but such is the situation right now in Kashmir so we can't change that part. But somewhere mentally Kashmiri players are ready because they are used to all this situation so we can judge how difficult it is for Kashmiri people to play football and this is one of the important situations they are right now. And hopefully they will put up a good show against East Bengal and this is a very important match for them. But all I can say or all we can do wish them all the best and hope for the best match. Like did you have any inkling that the team would do this well and be in the running with two games or three games whatever it is to go ? Let me share something with you guys. Mansoor is their technical director so we were really happy that Kashmiri team is going to play in a top flight of Indian football. So we were very excited about how to sign a player. So all everything we discussed by a good and strong player so that we can stay in this league not to win this league or to finish in a particular position. All we were preparing or discussing was to survive in this league. And what is happening now, it's really good. We never thought of it. It's fantastic for players and fantastic for the Kashmiri football. So I guess the thing that we look forward to year on year with the iLeague is these kind of stories and eventualities that keep cropping up because it keeps it exciting. Let's be honest the football isn't world class. So you need a little bit of I suppose masala. I'm not meaning to trivialize the experience that anyone is going through but as an observer of these things it keeps the conversation going and I think also retains the relevance. In India what is happening at any level you look at these stories are pretty relevant to it. Whether it's the three Kashmiri boys who have gotten jobs because they are playing football in the state of the country that has the highest unemployment levels or it's the fact that it's one of the few ways in which there's public engagement between Kashmiris and the rest of India. However you look at it the fact that the league is going to all these far off places and not just happening in Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Goa and that's it. So will you be able to see this next year or not? When Real Kashmir was in the second division and they had made their place in the league, I think no one had thought that Real Kashmir would be able to see this in this year's league. So the point is that you never really know, I think the beauty of the league like you said is that it's not in the quality of football though quality of football I think has been really nice to watch Chennai City being one of the teams to watch. But point being that the level playing field is you have a lot of any team can meet anyone. It's a level playing field and which has been happening for the last three years if you had Minerva last season coming up and winning then this year if you have Chennai City you're a Real Kashmir in the running to become first-time champions. Aizol is of course there. These guys have dropped a little bit but it's a level playing field. It is a level playing field and there is this fierceness to go and win the league and you know these discussions only happen. If you had this one Chennai City was already about 10 points ahead then we wouldn't have been giving this game too much importance to be told because it's winner-winner. But here three teams are in the vying for top spot so it's fun to talk about yourself and your league. So in terms of you of course watch both the leagues do you think there's been like we're looking forward to the Super Cup also at the end of the season do you think there's been an improvement in the way iLeague teams are playing in terms of organization structure all of the things that we're talking about positives from the ISL. So you can't deny the fact that ever since you've added that extra foreigner the quality has gone up. Let's not forget that before we start brazes of everything that's happening in the iLeague you've added an extra foreigner as well. So that is added to it but having said that the quality of football has also gone up which is Chennai being a prime example with the influx of Spanish players that they've brought in and the local talent and the mixing well and as a result so generally plan you run the rule of 6 foreigners in a league in a developing phase run it for 3-4 years get the Indian boys going and then you start waning off the foreigners then you make it 5 then you make it 4 like which is happening with the ISL they've started dropping the number of foreigners at the end of the day your foreigners yeah exactly you're dropping them off it is obviously having an impact on the Indian boys there is no doubt about it and if you had teams the best part of the iLeague I think is the fact is that the regions are well represented a country so vast you generally you know earlier were asking are the regions represented in this league earlier it was only a couple of 2-3 regions which were being represented now it's all over and that is the beauty of it I think don't look for quality right now just the regions being represented and everyone on a level playing field is good enough to enjoy a little forward from what he said up in a league I said so actually that happened it's a little bit of a vague idea to I mean present but the point is that iLeague as that is intricately woven into the social fabric of the clubs iLeague clubs of the places that they represent the cases Kashmir for instance we mentioned that how these Kashmiri players are coming out how the performance Kashmir in iLeague or coming out from coming up from the second division how that is important for Kashmir as a whole and how it's a symbol symbol and how it's how the rest of the country looks at Kashmir now because of this football team things like that the same applies to Chinese it is same applies to a club from the northeast shame the same applies to the Calcutta giants so that is something that we would look forward to and we hope that it remains in the domestic league structure domestic structure of India that whatever these guys plan ahead I don't want to make any predictions but I just hope the Kashmir story continues it's going to be difficult because like the coach said himself like nobody knows whether they will be able to play in Kashmir when they'll be able to play in Kashmir this is your Iklota time to play in iLeague keeping in mind that if you may be able to play in that region and not in that region means the dynamics have changed but if it's your Iklota season to play in Kashmir I hope it's a memorable one go out of the bank and for that reason only I am backing Real Kashmir no no score line I hope it's not a draw because then it plays into Chennai city's hands and then it won't go into the final round of the iLeague I hope that happens full points for either team actually that's the thing it keeps everyone honest keeps them real fair enough so we'll be watching that game guys join us at the stadium if you want famous Mr Pandit will be there you can come get a picture or an autograph or he can sign your undies if you want but come join us at the game we'll have some chit chat going on there as well we'll catch you again after to re-evaluate what's happening with the iLeague thanks for coming and also if you have any predictions in the comment section let us know who will win in the comment section Real Kashmir K.E.S.Bengal