This too will pass, says Gokulam's stranded Ugandan striker Henry Kisekka

Gokulam's stranded Ugandan striker yearning to return home

June 22, 2020 04:20 pm | Updated 04:20 pm IST - KOZHIKODE

Henry Kisekka.

Henry Kisekka.

“This,” says Henry Kisekka, “is really a difficult time for me.”

He could as well be speaking for any athlete, or anyone from any walk of life. The Gokulam Kerala striker, who was one of the leading scorers in the I-League season truncated by the coronavirus, is stranded here and is yearning to return home to Uganda.

His contract with Gokulam ended on May 31, but the club is still taking care of him and other foreign players. “We are still staying at the club facility,” he says.

He spends his time chatting with family and friends back home.

“I have never taken this much time off from the field,” he says. “I know this too will pass. I have to be fit, so I have started training indoors.”

Relieved

Kisekka is relieved that no death has been reported in Uganda due to COVID-19 and that there have been less than 800 positive cases. “I wish to be at home,” he says. “It is really hard for us to be here after the season. A footballer can spend time with his family only during the off-season. I wish international flights resume soon and I can go home.”

He has been happy in his two seasons with Gokulam.

“The first season was a breakthrough one for me and I think I was able to contribute to the club's campaign this season,” he says. “The Durand Cup and the Sheikh Kamal Cup were memorable for me.”

He is disappointed the season had to be stopped midway. “Had it continued, we had a chance to finish second,” he says. “That would have been a great achievement.”

Impressed

He is impressed by the quality of the I-League. “It is very competitive and is one of the best leagues I have played so far,” he says. “I really liked the intensity in each game.

“And the league provides a lot of opportunities for Indian youngsters.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.