Big Ben Club leap big, make it to NDFA's Elite Division football league

NAGPUR: Finally, Big Ben Football Club made it to the elite division of the Nagpur District Football Association (NDFA) league. The hard work and determined efforts of 2016 paid dividends in 2017 and a 14-year wait of coach-cum-owner Atmaram Pande came to an end.
For a club that was formed in 1991 and qualified for the senior division (now the super division) in 2002, Big Ben has missed the qualifying berth on many occasions, even lost a couple of finals in the tie-breaker.
For some reasons, the 2016 summit clash of the NDFA Super Division football league was scheduled in 2017 and the New Year brought luck for Big Ben. In the summit clash that was played on the Porwal College ground, custodian Naeem Ansari made a couple of diving saves to help Big Ben get the better of Rahul Brothers 3-1 in penalties after both the teams played a goalless regulation period. In the 2014 final too Naeem was the Big Ben custodian when his team suffered a heart-break defeat in sudden death against Qidwai Club. With the game heading towards the penalties Naeem, however, was determined to make most of his opportunity and came up with two beautiful saves that gave Big Ben the deserving super division trophy.
With this two-goal triumph, Big Ben not only became the NDFA Super Division champs but will also become the only team from West Nagpur to feature amongst the top-10 football playing clubs in the next edition of the league.
The elite division berth for Big Ben team and most importantly for Pande was always a so near and yet so far thing. And with this title triumph Pande heaved a sigh of relief. "For many years we were trying hard to see ourselves among the top-10 football playing clubs of the region, but were a bit unlucky to seal that deserving spot. Finally, the New Year gave an end to our years' wait and we all will work hard to make an impact in the elite division in the coming season," Pande told TOI on Monday.
Naeem saved the attempts of Rahul strikers Anuj Saurey and Allan Anthony while Big Ben forwards Shammir Murray and Atul Neware were spot on to take a handy 2-0 lead. Naeem was again in the thick of things when he saved Valerian Paul's attempt as Sunny Sahare struck from the spot to give Big Ben the title triumph.
Elated with the team's entry into the Elite Division, experienced Big Ben player Atul Neware said, "Since we made it to the elite division it is time for us to prove our mettle in the coming season. We all are ready to work hard and are eager to display our skills against the best teams of the region."