Sachin Badadhe: The chaiwala who coached I-League winners Minerva Punjab
What's the story
While Chennaiyin might be the talk of the town after they won the ISL, one man is quietly going about his business of serving tea at 'Shreenath Tea & Snacks Centre'.
But this chaiwala, Sachin Badadhe is not an ordinary man. He has won one of the most prestigious pieces of silverware- the I-League medal.
Sachin is the assistant-coach of I-League winners, Minerva Punjab.
Genius
Badadhe is one of the brightest minds in Indian football
Sachin Badadhe, not a popular name in Indian football, is one of the brightest minds in the sport.
11 days ago, Minerva Punjab FC were crowned the I-League champions, scripting a fairytale by winning the title in their second season and Badadhe was one of the key architects.
Minerva's assistant coach finally made his dream come true.
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Badadhe's only goal is to make a name in football
"Despite my financial situation, I wasn't too bothered about how big my pay packet was. I wanted to go out there and make a name for myself. I used to manage my coaching sessions in the evening along with running the shop," Badadhe said.
Player turned coach
Badadhe is a former club level player
Badadhe hails from a tiny village near Saswad in Pune and took to football early.
He played at the inter-school level in Maharashtra.
As he older, he had a stint with a local football club Phoenix FC, and then spent several years at the Sky Hawks under the mentorship of Vivek Nagul.
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Coaching came naturally to Badadhe
"I felt I had the required traits to become a coach during my time with Sky Hawks. I was a defender so I used to keep talking and guiding the players during a match. Whenever coach wasn't present, I used to take sessions," Badadhe said.
Experienced coach
After a stint with Bharat FC, Minerva FC came calling
He started his coaching career after acquiring his coaching badges and had a stint as a youth coach of former I-League team Bharat FC.
Once he gained his AFC 'B' coaching licence, Minerva FC's job came calling and the rest is history.
He was offered the post of U-18 head coach but he was soon promoted to assistant coach of the senior team.
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Badadhe drew inspiration from Aizawl FC
"We drew against Mohun Bagan in our first game and won the next four...As the season progressed, we drew some inspiration from Aizawl. If they could do it with a small budget, why can't we?" Badadhe concluded.