Pune Talent Shines: Mali and Sunny to Compete in AFC Futsal Asian Cup for India
Pune, 26th July 2023: In a historic first for football and futsal in Pune, Nikhil Mali and Shibu Sunny, two players from the city, have been selected for the final 22-man India Futsal squad which will compete in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers to be held in October later this year. India has been placed in Group E alongside hosts Tajikistan, Myanmar and Palestine in what is their first ever participation in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) selected 31 probables from the Hero Futsal Club Championship, which took place in Delhi in February 2023 from which Mali and Sunny have made it to the final squad along with 20 others.
Mali, 26, needs no introduction in Indian futsal having lifted back-to-back Hero Futsal Club Championships (with Delhi FC in 2022 and Minerva Academy in 2023) and also being named Most Valuable Player as well as Top Goalscorer in both editions. Born in Nigeria where his father worked as an engineer, Mali, despite his undeniable talent, was initially not allowed to join his school football team (Bishop’s School) because of the distance from his house. Towards the end of his school days, he caught the eye playing in small-sided game tournaments and got signed by local club Parshuramians SC. After turning out for their ‘B’ team in the PDFA Second Division for a season, Mali joined their rivals Greenbox Chetak SC whose ‘A’ team played in the PDFA Super Division.
During his graduation years, a team named “Panna Boys” (Panna being the term for a ‘nutmeg’ where a player rolls the ball through his opponent’s legs) was formed by Mali and his friends to compete in 5-a-side tournaments and they have earned cult status in the local football circuit over the years, winning more than 100 trophies. Mali had a successful trial with DSK Shivajians who signed him to play for their team in the U-18 I-League and since then, he has played for Delhi FC and FC Bengaluru United in the I-League Second Division while also turning out for Aizawl FC in the I-League.
Shibu Sunny’s story is almost like a fairytale as he has received his first ever National Team call-up at the age of 34! He started playing football only in 2007 but has represented many clubs in Pune like Pune FC, Deccan XI, VOBA, DSK Shivajians and CMS Falcons. He has also played for the likes of Air India, Mahindra United (Mumbai), FC Cavelossim (Goa),
Balgopal, Juna Budhwar (Kolhapur) and Juggernauts FC (Ahmedabad).
With Juggernauts FC, Shibu reached the semifinals of the Hero Futsal Club Championship and his impressive displays earned him a spot in the Probables and from there on, he has been selected for the final 22 who will don the India jersey in Tajikistan later this year.
