Munich Calling: Know Rushab More
Name: Rushabh Dhere
DoB: 1996
Place of Birth: Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Position: Striker
Major Tournaments:
School Nationals (2) – Under-14 at Mumbai and Under-17 at Andaman and Nicobar
All India Subroto Mukherjee Cup (1) – New Delhi
SAI Football (1)
Manchester United Premier Cup India-leg (2) – 2010 at Goa, 2011 at Pune
Stats:
7 goals – School Nationals (4 – in Under-14s; 3 in Under-17s)
2 goals – Subroto Mukherji Cup
2 goals – MUPC (India Leg)
Likes:
Favourite Team: Manchester United
Best Player: Cristano Ronaldo
Aim: To Play for India
Rushabh is one of those finds who hail from areas where state-government run sport schemes reach out and identify talent. Hailing from a family of farmers, Rushab is the only footballer of the five member Dheres’ which boasts of a younger brother and sister as well.
Football to Rushab was first-love as a seven year old with full support extended by both his parents. While it was coach Vinayak Chavan, who guided him with the basics at Private High School, a famed school in Kolhapur established back in 1883 by Vibhute Guruji after getting inspired by the thoughts of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and many others, Rushabh went on to be shortlisted by the Krida Prabodhini in 2006.
Moving to Pune to hone his skill it was under Jaideep Angirwal and Javed Khan that his skills were polished. Constant exposure at all-India school-level tournaments helped and in the process Rushabh earned honours of being part of a third-place finish in the Under-14 section of the School Nationals at Mumbai.
Likewise, he also has a pre quarterfinal appearance as an U-17 in the same tournament held at Andaman and Nicobar. Interestingly, it was at the Andamans where he scored the tournament’s fastest goal (1 minute 35 seconds; v Vidya Bharati, Madhya Pradesh) in a 4-3 winning result!
With the promise he showed, Rushabh attracted the eye of the then Pune FC Under-17 coach Gift Raikhan (now promoted to as U-19 coach) and was added to the Pune FC Under-15 roster.
It has been three-years since then and in the period Rushabh rose considerably and earned the captains armband for the MUPC Cup (India leg) played in Pune. Under Rushab PFC qualified for the knock out of the tournament.
The selection to represent India at the FC Bayern Munich Youth Cup is an extension of the Pune FC leading talented players to the right exposure at the right time.
