Kochi (Kerala), March 30 -- For Bijoy Varghese, the journey to his first national team call-up does not begin in a stadium, but on the sand.
"I come from a coastal town in Trivandrum called Pulluvila, and my house is near the beach," he says. "I started playing football in the sand from a young age."That image of a young boy barefoot on the shores of Kerala, learning the game against the rhythm of the sea, now sits in striking contrast to where he finds himself today: at 26, training in a Blue Tigers camp in Kerala itself. There is something poetic about that.
Centre-back Bijoy, who plays for Punjab FC, has been named in India's 23-member squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round match against Hong Kong on March 31 in Kochi....