By GUNANAND JAKHMOLA
On June 9 to 11, the first National Masters Sports Games were organized in the grounds of Social Baluni Public School.
Teams from seven states of the country as well as Nepal also participated in this. Football was the main attraction of the competition.
In the above 60 years age group competition, 65 year old Jagmohan Singh Negi from UK Masters team of Dehradun showed outstanding performance with ONGC team but his performance was a bit weak in the match played against Nepal. Reason, he had dysentery because he had undergone chemotherapy.
Jagmohan Negi is known as Jaggu Bhai in the football world. Sai Coach Jaggu Bhai has rectum cancer and is in the fourth stage. He already underwent five chemos, but still gets on the football field.
Jaggu Bhai has given a new dimension to football in Uttarakhand.
Born in Pauri village, Jaggu Bhai was fond of football since childhood. Laughingly, he tells that when there was no football in the village, he used to play with grapefruit.
Like every Pahari, he also had financial problems. He tells that he did not have money to buy football kit (shoes) so he became a goalkeeper. In those days, there used to be a nail at the bottom of the kit, when it hit the leg, a lot of blood used to come out. He had no equal in goalkeeping. Doon was the goalkeeper of Star in 1979-80.
After getting training at NIS Patiala, he became a coach of SAI Sports Authority of India. When he was appointed in Gujarat University, he made the business minded youth there football lovers and the Gujarat team played the national for the first time. Stayed in Hardoi city of Uttar Pradesh as well but used to reach the ground on time.
As a coach in Pauri, he prepared the girls football team of Uttarakhand. It was for the first time that the daughters of Pahad proved their talent in football as well. Prepared about 70 girls for the football team. He retired in 2019 from Kashipur. After this Masters got involved in football. He has rectum cancer since 2022. He is fighting a brave battle against cancer. Despite this, his football love is not waning.
He regularly reaches the football field. I called three-four days back and inquired about his well being, he said, he is feeling weak. I said, you will get well soon, so play football, he says, football is life, if I don’t play, how will I live?
Salute to the spirit of this vivacious player and wish him a speedy recovery.
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