Cine actor Prithviraj Sukumaran is keen to see the new Super League Kerala succeed and attract more youngsters to football. But he was realistic too and made it clear that big things will not happen overnight.
“We’re not hoping for a revolution but the start of a revolution. We hope this will open opportunities for grassroot-level players and help them achieve bigger things,” said Prithviraj, the Forca Kochi team owner, during the team’s launch event here on Monday evening.
Later, two-time Olympic hockey bronze medallist P.R. Sreejesh unveiled the Kochi team’s jersey.
The Kochi team has six foreign players — Brazilian Raphael Augusto, a former two-time ISL champion with Chennaiyin FC, Tunisian national players Said Mohamed Nidhal, Dziri Omran, Ivory Coast’s Nangui Mockey Jean Baptiste, South African Ngubo Siyanda and Colombian Rodriguez Ayoza Luis Angel — and former Indian goalkeeper Subhasish Roy Chowdhury.
The team also has many from I-League clubs and Kerala’s Santosh Trophy team including Nijo Gilbert, Arjun Jayaraj and Hajmel Sakkeer.