Suresh Steps Down From Captaincy

He was a man who could outjump the tallest player on the pitch at will, he still can. His precise tackles, running from behind, have often caused a collective gasp of breath simply for their breath-taking beauty. He did not score too many goals for Kamikaze, yet every time he drives up with the ball, there was a chance to be taken. Despite his name being the first in the team-list, simply because of his talent and determination, that was not how he will be remembered in time to come. He was, still is and will always be A Leader of the team! The most courageous one the team has ever had. Suresh Kumar s/o Vetrivel aka USPO

   

Suresh has announced that he will be stepping down from the Captaincy of the Senior Team with immediate effect. Suresh leaves the post after 2 and a half years becoming the most successful captain in the Team's History. He led the team to 1 runners' up medal 3 successive Championship titles and played an important role in each of the title win.

Suresh's biggest strength was that he commanded total respect in the dressing room and led from the front on the pitch. The sight of the stare that one would receive if he were to play a misplaced pass was enough to exact 100% commitment from his players. Suresh rarely shouted, but when he did, he was fiery enough to put a check to even the biggest egos in the team.

Suresh was also a well-loved captain, whose sense of humor won him many fans. He also acted as a mentor to several of the younger players in the squad, constantly guiding them and encouraging them to play to the best of their abilities.

In fact, it is a testament to Suresh's mentoring skills, that one of his former proteges, Haravin would be appointed the new captain. Haravin has been a lifelong Kamikaze boy, coming through the ranks at the age of 14. In his 10th year with the club, he has been given the honour of leading the Senior team out. But with great power comes great responsibilities, as this young man will now lead several big names in the dressing room, including his former Captain Suresh who will be looking to continue playing top-level football for atleast another 5 seasons.

When asked on what his biggest Achievement as Captain was, Suresh's answer surprised many.

"I think, over the years Kamikaze had developed a reputation as an attacking team. One that always attacked and never gave up and personally I feel that this is a great reputation. However, my biggest achievement, would be to bring some stability and tactical discipline to our defensive lines and shape and create a lean and mean defence that was always rock solid. And truth be told, our defence often helped the attack too and that to me would be my biggest achievement- Shaping Our Defence."

His answer to his Best Moment as Captain, was also unexpected.

"No, definitely not the titles we won. Those titles were a result of consistent effort, but I don't think that was my best moment. Some of my best moments, were when we beat our closest rivals. Teams like Mexican Aces often gave us tough times. But over the years, when we recorded victories over them, it is a really pleasant moment cos you know your team has come far and improved over the years."

Seelan's response on the Captaincy change summed up the mood for Kamikaze,

"A captain like USPO is a dream come true for any manager. To have someone command and motivate the dressing room like he did, is a boon for any manager and he definitely made my job much easier. But mark my words, that boy is not going off anywhere, he has several more years to contribute to this amazing team. Meanwhile, one cannot ask for a better player to replace USPO as the captain. Hara has been earmarked for the role for the past year and he has proven to be an able man to lead the team forward. It is not going to be easy for him, as he will be a young captain, leading a team of big names. But I have no doubt that the boy will be a natural leader, just like his predecessor."

On other news, The Juniors have also appointed Nick as their new Vice-Captain. With the departures of Hasiim and Shivaanan and the long-term injury of Vishnu, the team needed a new on-field leader to deputise and the management unanimously agreed that Nick was the best man for the job.

With so many changes happening in the Kamikaze family, one could easily speculate that this season could be a make-or-break season for Kamikaze. But as always, Kamikaze would once again like to show the Amateur Football world, on how best to manage an Amateur team and be damn good at it.

KAMIKAZE!!!