Where?s the skill factor nowadays?

EIGHTY-FIVE-year-old Prafull Kumar Dutta doesn’t like the current trends catching on in the ‘footballing world’ but he’s cheering for defending champions Brazil in this year’s World Cup, beginning from June 9, in Germany.

A right-full back during his hey days, Dutta mesmerised fans for almost eight years since 1947. But, an injury forced him to quit the game in 1956.

“While playing for the Bengali Club & Youngmen’s Association, I enjoyed the game of football in Lucknow District for a long time,” recalls Dutta, who lives in Rajendra Nagar now.

Still unsure about the participation of Ronaldo in this year’s World Cup, the veteran footballer is ready to place his bets on the agile striker. “Brazilians have a special kind of game planning, passing system and kick-volley, and they fascinate me when they play big matches.”

Dutta, who represented Uttar Pradesh in the prestigious Santosh Trophy National Championship and IFA Shield Football Tournament between 1952 and 54, believes that in today’s world of football, forwards sometimes don’t get a chance to see the goalpost.

“Today’s matches look like a computerised game where, in quick moments, one finds a player moving across the field swiftly. But, in our days the game of football was a bit slow and more or less we relied on skills,” said Dutta, adding that “Now, it’s a game based on pace and stamina!”

Besides Brazil, Dutta favours Argentina and hosts Germany as the possible winners after Brazil. “They also have similar kind of playing techniques like Brazilians have and they can not be taken lightly,” says Dutta, who retired as chargeman from Northern Railway here.