Early days of Hindustan Warriors (18/06/2012 20:24)

Season 89. Only the second season of the club in the International League. Lots of hopes for the players, staff and their manager. Not a very active department in Division 5, but a promotion would mean a lot for the newly founded club, and so far it is going in the right direction.

Hindustan Warriors was established in Season 88 with a small 5000 seater stadium. The season was almost coming to an end with 3 league matches left to play and the department cup final in Division 6. Placed at 2nd position in a department full of bots and only 2 active managers, the atmosphere was perfectly poised to have a push for promotion. The top team was only 3 points ahead with not much goal difference and we were to play them in the 2nd match.

After a bit of research, the manager finally decided on his best 11 and started off for his first match. The opponent was a weak bot team and the club had a comfortable victory. The perfect start, and what more, the leaders slipped up and now we were level on points with them. Then came the real test - the match of the season - 1st vs 2nd placed. The players had a long training session where everyone boosted up their morale. We decided to play to our strengths rather than counter the opponent's tactics, and it paid off. A last minute header saw us cruising to victory and to winning the department - but who knows?

That game put us ahead in the league by 3 points, but we needed atleast a draw in the last match to make sure we had the league. The chasers still had a better goal-difference, so if we lost and they won it meant we would be facing the playoffs. Our opponents in the last match were a bot team, and we decided to play the same formation and tactics.

Nailbiting moments - we went ahead in the 23rd minute but the bots equalized in the 60th. And a 85th minute goal looked like crushing all hopes of a promotion. THe game finished 2-1, we lost. All eyes were on the other result now, but to the players' delight it was a 0-0 draw. Celebrations had already begun, we are the department champions, and that too in our first season.

Boosted by the morale given by the department victory, we slaughtered a bot team in the Department cup finals. A double to the delight of the supporters!! Not only we were going to Division 5, but with more money and glory! Glory Glory Hindustan Warriors!