The Hindi translation, Bharat me Football: Football Khiladiyo ki Prerak Kahaniya, of Delhi-based sportscaster and author Novy Kapadia’s (pictured) book Barefoot to Boots: The Many Lives of Indian Football was received by the author on June 23, 2020, as per his email sent to Parsiana that very day. Known as "the grand old man of Indian football,” the English version of his book,
published in 2017, was reviewed by Delhi based sports journalist Gul-Fraaz (Gulu) Ezekiel (see "Married to football,” Books, Parsiana, December 7, 2017).
Ezekiel had written that though most Indian football fans will be familiar with the achievements and legends of the game, "Where Kapadia scores is in the evocative picture he paints of growing up in a middle class Parsi family in Old Delhi where he longed and lived for the winter months when the football season would kick off at the Delhi Gate (now Dr Ambedkar) Stadium and for a pittance he could get to see the giants of Indian football in action in front of a full house.
"My favorite anecdote is how in December 1965, 13-year-old Kapadia sneaked away to watch a match at the stadium even as the obsequies were being performed for his maternal grandmother who had passed away that morning. But instead of scolding the youngster on his return, his father and uncle as well as the late Ervad Darius Bagli — all football fans — took him aside to ask him the score!”
S. V.