Kerala football news

Othallo Tabia | Factfile

Othallo Tabia from the capital city, Trivandrum, is a well known Kerala footballer who plies his trade at the I-League side – Pune FC. The former Mahindra United and Viva Kerala player started kicking the football at the age of 12.

His first step into professional football was at a young age of 18 years representing the local Titanium Eleven. He showed his skills at the local tournaments with the Titanium team and was rewarded with an instant call for trials at the giants Mahindra United of Mumbai.

Othallo’s journey to Mumbai for a trial at the Mahindras instantly earned him a contract with the club. As a youngster at the Mumbai club, he played in many major tournaments including the First division and the Federation Cup.

He spent 3 years at the Mahindra United winning the Federation Cup and the National Football League. But unfortunately, Othallo Tabia had to spend the league winning season on the sidelines with a knee injury that required an operation.

As Othallo was playing for Mahindra, a team from his homeland was preparing for their maiden flight to the country’s top division. The Viva Kerala team management bought Othallo from Mumbai to Kerala to play for them.

Othallo played for the Kerala club in the I-League 2007-08, but the campaign turned out to be a disappointing one with the Kerala team getting relegated back into the I-League Division 2.

Othallo’s consistent performance earned him a call up to the Kerala Santosh Trophy camp of 2007. He was selected for the final camp, but injury struck him again as he injured his toe on the day of squad selection. Othallo had to return home disappointed.

The defender joined another newcomer – the Pune FC in 2008. The young team won their promotion to the I-League with some remarkable performances from Othallo. The team is now playing the I-League and Othallo is very much a part of their plans in the search for glory in the game.

At the age of 25, Othallo Tabia expects to up his game further and play a more decisive role in the club’s future plans.

Adwaidh R for footballkerala.com

Photo Courtesy: PuneFC.com