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Charleston anesthesiologist helps Indian soccer team train in city

May 28, 2008

Matthew Thompson - Charleston Daily Mail

Charleston, WVa - An under-16 Indian national soccer team is coming to Charleston to train for an upcoming international tournament. The trip is the work of a local anesthesiologist, Dr. Francis Saldanha. Saldanha, who oversees the Day Surgery Center in Kanawha City, is paying for the team to come to West Virginia. An India native, Saldanha said he's pleased to help the boys play in the United States. 

"From what I gather, the boys are tremendously excited and all of India is excited to see them come over here," Saldanha said. "It's excellent exposure and they'll be playing some pretty good clubs."

The team is scheduled to arrive July 1 for training and scrimmages to prepare for the Asian Federation Cup, a tournament scheduled for October in Uzbekistan.

The India team is one of 16 squads playing in the tournament. Other teams include national squads from Australia, Japan, China and South Korea.

Growing up in India, Saldanha said he always had a love for sports. He played cricket, field hockey and soccer, but said he was never a good athlete.

Still, Saldanha remained a sports fan.

He came to the United States in 1977 and made Charleston his home in 1981.

For many years, Saldanha worked to help athletics in India, but he could never do more than fund soccer programs at schools and academies across the country.

"I've always wanted to do something more for athletes in India," Saldanha said. "I never had an opportunity until recently."

Saldanha then heard about the success of the under-16 India team and how it qualified for the Asian Federation Cup.

Saldanha began to inquire about funding the team in some capacity. Then he decided to bring the team to West Virginia.

Saldanha described the effort to friend Brian Parrott.

Parrott, a vice-president of commercial lending for City National Bank, had known Saldanha for many years in a business capacity.

When Parrott found out about Saldanha's goal of bringing the team to the United States, he decided to help.

Parrott, a native of Vermont, grew up playing soccer and still takes part in local adult leagues.

Using Parrott's help, the two set out to get the team to the Mountain State.

The work included gaining approval from the All India Football Federation, the governing body of soccer in the country. They worked closely with Albert Colaco, the general secretary of the federation.

The men also had to get clearance from the U.S. Soccer Federation and the West Virginia Soccer Association.

Parrott said they were successful in getting quick approval.

"Everybody we talked to was so enthusiastic about helping us out," Parrott said.

Parrott said he hopes the trip will introduce soccer to a new audience in the area.

"My part of the partnership allows me to progress the level of soccer in the Kanawha Valley," Parrott said. "There's a lot of momentum being built up."

During their stay in Charleston, the squad will live in the Embassy Suites hotel. The team includes 24 players and six coaches.

Their schedule includes five scrimmages at Schoenbaum Stadium at Coonskin Park. They will also play a game against other travel teams at West Virginia University and another at Marshall University.

The team will face off against various soccer clubs from West Virginia, Ohio and South Carolina.

The first scrimmage will be July 6 at Schoenbaum Stadium.

They will head back to India on July 26.

Saldanha is leaving for India on Thursday to meet face-to-face with the team for the first time. He said Charleston would be the first trip to the United States for many of the boys.

Saldanha said he has high hopes for the team's success.

"They'll be up against some pretty formative groups," Saldanha said. "My hope is they get better with each tournament and become dominant."

Dr. Saldanha and the Day Surgery Center have been a customer of TCG since 2002. TCG created Transcription Management Software for the Day Surgery Center and Charleston Pain Management for doctors to administer their patient chart information electronically.

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