Nationality issue solved, Arata Izumi now hopes to play for India

For the best part of two years, the universe had conspired to defy Arata Izumi's efforts to become an Indian citizen. First, he needed to figure out exactly which type of application form he needed to fill. This was a more complex task than you would imagine.

Arata was born an Indian citizen, with an Indian birth certificate, in Japan, to an Indian father and a Japanese mother. But he became a Japanese citizen after his father left his mother.

The PFC midfielder and his wife Shweta Manerikar consulted six lawyers, made multiple trips to the Home Ministry in Delhi and endured endless waits in government offices with "no blood circulation" in their perennially crossed fingers.

To add to his woes, Arata's application papers were burnt in the Mantralaya fire that broke out in June this year.

Finally, on August 22, the eve of PFC's Durand Cup opening match in Delhi, Arata's Indian passport arrived, just in time for the club to register him with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to play the tournament as an Indian player.

The 30-year-old now hopes to play for the national team.

The long wait for the arrival of his passport meant that he missed out on the three-week selection camp for the Nehru Cup squad, but Arata knows he is on the radar of coach Wim Koevermans.

"I attended the coaching seminar that he (Koevermans) conducted in Navi Mumbai last month, and introduced myself to him," he says. "He told me he'll watch our matches and would pick me if I'm good enough."

Exactly where Arata will fit into the Indian team, if picked, is an intriguing question. In the three seasons at PFC, he has played in all the attacking positions — central midfield, on either wing, in the 'hole' or even up front.

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