Sivasakthi takes Bengaluru league by storm

Sivasakthi, who inked a two-year deal with BFC in May 2020, took the BDFA Super Division League in Bengaluru by storm. Representing the club’s reserve team, the 19-year-old racked up as many as 14 goals and seven assists in just 11 appearances for the ‘Blues’.

The Sivaganga native was highly consistent throughout the event so much so that he rarely failed to make it to the scoresheet. And, Sivasakthi deservedly took home the ‘Best Striker’ award in the 13-team league where Bengaluru FC ‘B’ finished second, a point behind title-winner FC Bengaluru United, in the standings.

“I am satisfied with my performances. I represented BFC for the first time, in the league. I am delighted to have contributed to a number of goals in my very first tournament,” Sivasakthi, a product of the Raman Vijayan Soccer School (RVSS), told DT Next.

“It was a great experience. The standard of play in the Bengaluru league was good. When I represented RVSS age-group teams, I found it a bit easy. But, that wasn’t the case here. I played with and against senior players. Playing such matches will help me move to the next level,” said Sivasakthi, a key member of the young BFC ‘B’ side that came up with a creditable show against rest of the teams which were sprinkled with overseas recruits.

Sivasakthi, currently on a mini break post his Bengaluru league commitment, is grateful to those behind the scenes for the support they have been lending. “I am not familiar with Hindi. So, assistant coach Rajan Mani sir has been helping me by communicating in Tamil. Both coaches, Sandesh Bhoite sir and Rajan sir, have been backing me,” he explained.

Although Sivasakthi is with the reserve squad now, he was invited to take part in a few first-team practice sessions. Asked how he felt while rubbing shoulders with senior pros, the youngster responded: “I got to train with some of the best Indian players. When I trained with them for the first time, I couldn’t express my feeling in words.”

Sivasakthi’s next objective is to break into the senior team, which is preparing for the AFC Cup. Going by his mind-boggling stats and instant impact, a call-up is not far away. “My mentor Raman Vijayan sir motivates me a lot. He keeps telling me that this is just the first step in my career. He always asks me to not rest on past laurels. So, I hope to make the cut for the first team soon,” said Sivasakthi.