City’s most successful women’s football coach lives in a 10ft X 8ft shanty

Preetam Mahadik shares his tiny 10-foot-by-8-foot kholi in Pali, Bandra, with his mother Suman, a house help, and his wife Lavina, who is eight months pregnant. Pics/Rane Ashish

It is said that football is a poor man's game, because all you need is a ball to kick around. But professional football can cost millions. Yet, financial constraints haven't stopped Preetam Mahadik from making his club, Mumbai Knights, the undisputed queens of Mumbai football.

Small home where it started

Operating from a tiny 10-foot-by-eight-foot room in Bandra's Pali area, which his family has called home for over four decades, and despite a budget where expenditure overtakes income, Mumbai Knights's club-owner-cum-coach Mahadik has led two of his three teams to the Mumbai Football Association women's titles - Sub-junior (U-13) and Senior - this season, while the Junior (U-15) team finished second on goal difference.

All three teams qualified for the Maharashtra State league, while the Senior team went on to win and qualify for the Indian Women's League-2 (IWL-2). The Sub-junior and Junior teams are currently preparing for their State tournaments, and Mahadik is confident they will excel too.

Three teams, three titles

"Our Senior and Sub-jr teams won all their matches in both MFA leagues while the Juniors missed the top spot on goal difference. These girls are very dedicated and hardworking. We train four to five times a week on artificial turf and on Juhu beach. The intense beach training is why the girls are extremely fit. It's one of the reasons for our success," Mahadik tells mid-day at his modest home, with mother Suman, a house maid, by his side.

Nikita Jude, defender, Mumbai Knights

Mahadik began coaching girls in 2018-19 alongside senior boys under the team name, Joga Bonito. But when the girls tasted success in local tournaments, he realised their potential and began training only girls at Mumbai Knights. He eventually took over ownership of the club in June this year and while his 54 girls (28 seniors and 26 juniors) have been skilfully dribbling past all on-field challenges, off-field Mahadik is busy juggling his finances.

Considering the annual cost to run Mumbai Knights as a professional club is around Rs 25 lakh, and Mahadaik earns around Rs 1 lakh per month through various coaching jigs, it's amazing how he manages to keep the club, not just afloat, but also successful. "Almost 50 per cent of the club's expenses go towards turf hiring charges [Rs 9000 per hour]. Then, we have a three-grade player contract system [Rs 15,000 for A Grade, Rs 10,000 for B, Rs 8000 for C] with a six-month payout commitment.

Mumbai Knights players during a training session at the Wings Sports Centre in Bandra recently. Pics/Rane Ashish

"Then, there are kit costs, tournament expenses, accommodation costs for outstation players and a host of others payments. I pump in 70 percent of my personal monthly earnings back into the club, while another part comes in through annual fees paid by some Sub-jr girls [Rs 40,000 each annually paid by 10 students]. Eventually there is still a deficit [around Rs12 lakh and for that, I am blessed with some friends and benefactors who chip in," explains Mahadik, an AFC ‘C' license coach.

The numerous challenges notwithstanding though, Mumbai Knights are only aiming higher. Mahadik is confident his senior girls will not just win the IWL-2 and progress to IWL-1 (India's premier women's football tournament), but, in a short span, they will win that too and emerge national champions.

Mumbai Knights football club owner Preetam Mahadik with his mother Suman at their modest home in Pali, Bandra

"I have a five-year plan. The juniors, who are 14-15 years old now, should be playing the IWL by the time they are 18-19. And about the seniors, I'm confident they will win the IWL-2 [in March next year] and qualify for IWL-1, and within three years thereafter, we will win IWL-1 too," said Mahadik. Interestingly, seeing the club's success, Mahadik received an offer of Rs 50 lakh for a takeover by a rival club.

Club not for sale

Considering, he could be rendered homeless in the near future as his tiny house is under dispute with the neighbouring plush residential complex, and given his wife Lavina is in the eighth month of her pregnancy, the money could've benefitted Mahadik greatly. But he turned down the offer. "These girls are my family, and no one sells their family," he concluded.

Football administrators all praise for Knights

Football administrators have lavished praise on Preetam Mahadik and his team, Mumbai Knights, who have dominated Mumbai and Maharashtra's football scene this season. Mumbai Football Association General Secretary, Sudhakar Rane gave full credit to coach and club owner Mahadik for his hard work and dedication.

Mahadik behind a net

"Their coach [Mahadik] has done a great job with the girls because they have succeeded in all age groups. I am extremely proud that a Mumbai team has done well at the Maharashtra State level [Mumbai Knights Senior team are winners of the Maharashtra State league]. It's great that talented football players in Mumbai have a platform to showcase their abilities," Rane told mid-day. Kiran Chougule, Secretary of the Western India Football Association, the governing body for football in Maharashtra, said Mumbai Knights's success augurs well for the state.

"Mumbai Knights are a very promising team. Their success augurs well for Maharashtra too. At WIFA, we have always emphasised on women's football and our various women's leagues is proof of this. This year we have introduced the Sub-Junior league which Mumbai Knights have qualified for, so all the best to them," said Chougule.

Coach Mahadik's success with Mumbai Knights this season

1 Winners of the MFA Women's Premier League
2 Runners-up of MFA Junior Girls League
3 Winners of MFA Sub-Junior Girls League
4 Winners of Maharashtra State Women's League
5 All three teams - Senior, Junior and Sub-Junior qualify for Maharashtra State League

Rs 50L
Offer received from a rival club to take over Mumbai Knights. Mahadik turned down the offer despite his financial struggles

Rs 25L
Annual cost to run Mumbai Knights football club