Where is "Indian Neymar" Komal Thatal?
With his injuries, he lost the razzle and dazzle that made him one of the best young players in the country
XtraTime Newsdesk: Where is Komal Thatal? Once dubbed as "India's Neymar", he wowed Indian football fans with his dazzling dribbling, ball control, and flair. Every fan expected him to be the best player in the nation within a decade but now everybody asks: where is he?
He currently plays for Gokulam Kerala and couldn't become the player the fans wanted him to be. With his injuries, he lost the razzle and dazzle that made him one of the best young players in the country. When he made his breakthrough at the U-17 level, everyone was in awe of the youngster. He scored against the likes of Brazil when he was young but now, he is just like any other player in the 2nd division.
In India, football wonderkids aren't nurtured properly. That's not a surprise but nonetheless it's tragic how Thotal's career has turned out. In ATK/Mohun Bagan, he didn't get enough chances and in Jamshedpur, his injury debilitated him. Now, he is nowhere to be found in the mainstream Indian football discourse.
He is still 25 and can become one of the best in the country. Yet, it feels like the lost years won't come back. Players in that U-17 squad like Anwar Ali and Jeakson Singh got the required mentorship and have become regular starters for their clubs but Thatal has been left behind.
He was the one with the most promise yet lost the most with injuries and luck. But that is the story every youngster playing football in this country.
