With three wins and as many losses, Haldia High School, representing West Bengal in this year’s Subroto Cup, are a win away from qualifying for the pre-quarter final, but coach Souren Roy isn’t biting his nails thinking about Wednesday’s do-or-die clash against Delhi. Roy seems satisfied with whatever his boys have done after crossing a bumpier road to Delhi in 13 long years.

“We haven’t come here to lift the trophy. We are more than satisfied with just participation, after 13 years. Every win is a bonus and we don’t know whether we’ll return next year,” Roy said.

The school last played in the Subroto Cup in 1996 and since then were mired in losing battles against local and zonal teams. Roy, coaching the team for 16 years, says external conditions had a bearing on the performance.

“Our school comes under the West Bengal government’s sports development programme and over the years the aid we’ve been receiving has reduced drastically, in every aspect. For example, the supply of food and kit the boys used to get earlier, has stopped in the last ten years,” Roy told Sportline.

The depleting resources, however, couldn’t stop the football the locality of Durgachak was up to in Haldia. With a name to sell, the coach and his boys sought help from everybody but its ruling body. The helping hands weren’t too far away. A local club called Milan Sangha stepped in to provide the boys the basic kit and slowly roped in sponsors for the Delhi trip.

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