A few kilometres from Basirhat, there lies a small village called Nalkora, A subtle village known for its agricultural beauty. In nalkora, the day always began before the sun. The silence of the morning was regularly broken by the rhythmic creak of a van-rickshaw, On the seat sat Abu Bakkar Sardar, and beside him sat his young son, Irfan Sardar. Together, they navigated the village paths to sell vegetables before heading to the local brickyard to labour under the gruelling summer heat, brings a story of the young passionate boy from the brickyards.While the morning was defined by sweat and heavy lifting, the evening belonged to a different world entirely. The villagers would gather at the local ground to watch Irfan play. He didn’t have fancy gear or leather cleats; he chased a worn-out rubber ball with bare feet. Despite the backbreaking work of the day, he never seemed to tire. His brother, Arafat, worked alongside him, but it was Irfan’s undeniable spark on the pitch that convinced the neighbors this boy was destined for something greater than the brick-kilns.This journey was not without its shadows. Abu, worried by the family’s dire financial distress, often urged his son to leave the field behind, focus on his studies, and find a stable job. Irfan, however, had found his calling. Though he could not continue his schooling past the fourth standard, he found a silent, steady pillar of support in his mother.That spark was eventually fanned into a flame by his first coach, Baki Birla Mondal. When Irfan was just ten years old, Mondal spotted the barefoot boy and saw a diamond in the rough. He became more than a coach; he became a guardian. He provided Irfan with his first real pair of boots, jerseys, and the nutrition he needed to grow, offering everything free of cost so the boy’s talent wouldn’t be strangled by poverty.The momentum of Irfan’s career shifted dramatically when he was scouted for the Zinc Football Academy in Rajasthan. Under the watchful eye of Coach Tarun Roy, the young striker honed his scoring ability and sharpened his legendary speed. Soon, he was no longer just a village sensation but a representative of Bengal. He dominated the Under-18 Khelo India Games, scoring seven goals and providing three assists, a performance that sent ripples through the Bengal football fraternity.The ultimate validation came when he broke into the professional circuit. After a stint in the CFL Premier Division with Sreebhumi FC, he earned a place in East Bengal’s youth squad. The club management has already looked toward the future, promising him a professional contract that could change his life forever.2 / 2For Irfan and Arafat, football became a tool to rebuild their reality. For years, the family lived in a humble mud house, a structure their father could never afford to upgrade. In January of this year, the two brothers used their football earnings to finally transform that mud house into a sturdy brick home. While Abu still goes out to work three times a week, his sons are working toward the day they can ask him to park his rickshaw for the last time.However, the path nearly ended in late 2023. A devastating motorbike accident left Irfan with a fractured face and a shattered season. The cost of plastic surgery and recovery reached nearly three lakh rupees, a sum far beyond his family’s reach. In a beautiful display of community, the villagers who once watched him play as a child stepped forward, pooling their money to fund his treatment. His childhood coach, Mondal, returned to his side, spending hours on the pitch helping him regain his rhythm and his confidence.Today, the ardent fan of Neymar Jr. stands on the threshold of greatness. Now a consistent force for JHR Royal City FC in the BSL, he eyes a spot in the East Bengal senior team and a chance to wear the national colors. Irfan Sardar is no longer just a boy from the brickyards; he is a testament to the fact that while bricks build houses, passion builds legends.
