India is an interesting country. Some parts lie shadowed with poverty and some are brimming with the rich. There are places so ugly it’s hard to watch even on screen, and then there are places so beautiful they will leave you speechless.
You’ll have someone with a very high status, lacking any talent, and then someone who had sold soda bottles as a kid with unbelievable skill.
One such person is I. M. Vijayan. At an early age, he made his living selling soda bottles for 10 paise each, which is less than a U.S. penny. Today, he is regarded as one of the best footballers India has ever seen, and is the highest-earning footballer in India.
Vijayan was born in 1969, in Kerala. He made his first football appearance at the age of 17 for the Kerala Police and soon became highly accepted in domestic football.
Later, Vijayan played for teams like Mohun Bagan a very popular Indian club, and East Bengal. There, he partnered with India football celebrity, Baichung Bhutia.
Vijayan was known as a deadly striker. Aggressive and accurate, he was a lethal combination for opposing teams.
If India has more players like him, they might be unbeatable. Once he passes the wall of defense, a goal is undeniable, causing opposing teams to fear him.
On paper, he is just as notable, being the first Keralite to win the Arjuna Award and Footballer of the Year three times. He also scored the fastest-ever international goal, clocking in at 12 seconds against Bhutan.
Thailand and Malaysia both showed interest in him, but he decided to stay on in India. He retired as the highest goal scorer in the country. Vijayan was a team player, a match winner, and a great fan of the sport.
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