Pune: Coached by his referee father, Gangaram, as a teenager, Kishor Choudhari once dreamt of playing for Maharashtra. Today, the Central Railway employee based in Pune is making his mark as a national-level referee.
There was a time when Kishor Choudhari wanted to be on the other side of the whistle.
As a teenager in Pune, he was a promising footballer, playing as a left-half and earning a reputation as a skilful playmaker. In 2002, while studying in Class XI at St Patrick's High School and Junior College, he was selected to represent Maharashtra at the national schools' football tournament. He had already played for the state at the sub-junior level and represented Wanowrie Sports Club in the second division.
His coach at Wanowrie was also the man who knew his game better than anyone — his father, Gangaram Choudhary.
Gangaram was an NIS coach and referee, and a familiar figure on Pune's football grounds in the early 2000s. For Kishor, his father was more than a coach. He was his first teacher of the game and, eventually, the man who showed him a different path in football.
“I owe everything to my father. Whatever I have achieved in football and refereeing is because of him. He was the person who taught me the game and encouraged me at every stage,” Kishor says.
The footballer eventually swapped his boots for the whistle.
It was a change of role, but not a departure from football. In fact, Kishor believes his playing days have helped him understand refereeing better.
“When you have played football, you understand what a player is feeling on the field. You know why a player reacts after a tackle or why he appeals for a decision. That experience helps you as a referee,” he says.
Kishor has since risen to the national level and become one of Pune's leading referees, earning appointments in major domestic competitions.
His journey has also been built around a demanding second career. Kishor is employed with Central Railway and is based in Pune, balancing his professional responsibilities with the training, travel and preparation required of a national-level referee.
For him, however, football remains the constant.
“I never really left football. I may have stopped playing, but refereeing gave me another opportunity to remain connected with the game,” he says.
And whenever he looks back at his journey, the connection with his father remains impossible to miss.
Gangaram once stood on Pune's football grounds with the whistle around his neck. Today, his son carries it.
“I am proud that I have followed my father's path. He is the reason I am here today,” Kishor says.
The boy who once dreamt of influencing football with his feet is now influencing it with his whistle.
