As Indian Football Stumbles, a Goan Shines in England: Shashwat Kamat Joins Wolves

As Indian Football Stumbles, a Goan Shines in England: Shashwat Kamat Joins Wolves

Panaji: At a time when Indian football is going through a difficult phase and struggling to find its footing on the international stage, a young Goan is quietly making his mark inside one of the world’s most competitive football systems. From Goa to FC Goa, then Queens Park Rangers (QPR) and now Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves), Shashwat Kamat’s journey is a story of ambition, perseverance and the possibilities that open up when young Indians are willing to step outside their comfort zones and pursue opportunities on the global stage.

Shashwat has joined Wolves as a Performance Analyst at the club’s Category 1 Academy, the highest academy classification in England and one of the highest standards for player development in world football. For the Goan, the move represents a major milestone in a journey that began when he was just 16.

“This personally is a big, big milestone to me where I’ve made sure that I achieve my goals and dreams step by step,” Shashwat said. “When I was 16, I had the opportunity to join my dream club FC Goa and that’s where the dream began because the people there made it all possible and pushed me to the highest limits. I learned a lot there and it made me very happy.”

His journey subsequently took him to England, where his experience with QPR gave him an insight into a football development system vastly different from what he had experienced in India. Shaswat believes one of the biggest differences is the structure and attention given to young players.

“In India we say that we focus on the grassroots, but none of it is true. Here since I’ve been in QPR I have seen how players are developed under rigid conditions as well as how their progress is monitored every day and weekly basis,” he said.

The monitoring, he explained, goes far beyond what happens on the training pitch. Players have regular one-on-one meetings to discuss their development and also have appointments with psychologists who work with them to understand their mental behaviour and wellbeing.

“A lot of care is being taken for these respective players which is something you wouldn’t see in India,” Shashwat said, adding that India needs to do much more to improve its systems for identifying and developing talented players.

Having worked in both countries, Shashwat also points to the resources and specialised departments available within English clubs. “In comparison to both you can definitely say that there is much more money in the football industry here as compared to in India. Here we have different departments looking after player performance, player identification and player analysis, but in India a single person has to do this same job,” he said.

He believes the coaching structure is similarly more closely monitored in England, with coaches expected to continue their professional development and complete CPDs to maintain their qualifications.

At Wolves, Shashwat ’s role involves much more than simply analysing a match after it has been played. His typical week begins with studying the opposition and preparing detailed reports on their playing style, strengths and weaknesses.

“Typically at the start of the week we evaluate which opponent we are going up against. We have an opposition report which helps us understand how they play and what can be certain tactics we can use against them to beat them,” he explained.

The analysis is then translated into training, with session plans designed around areas the team needs to improve before the game. Set pieces are also analysed and prepared, with everything aligned to the club’s game model. After the match, the process continues with a detailed post-match evaluation of what happened during the game, including both areas for improvement and positive moments.

While the role of performance analyst is well established in England, Shashwat believes India has a large pool of young people who could succeed in similar careers but lack awareness and accessible pathways.

“India has a lot of amazing talent and potential who can make it big abroad,” he said. “There were a few people who I myself learnt this from, so imagine if they had the opportunity to go abroad and do what I am doing, they would definitely be the flag bearers of the country.”

According to Shashwat, the lack of specialised educational pathways is one of the biggest obstacles. “Unfortunately there are no specific courses in terms of study in Performance Analysis as well as Sports Science. The field of performance analysis is so isolated in India that nobody has ever heard about it or never knows what it is all about,” he said.

“That’s what holds most of them back because how would they prove it to their parents that there is a course like this?” he added, explaining that he was fortunate to have family, friends and his local MLA understand the field and support his ambitions.

For young Goans who dream of working in football but may not necessarily become professional players, Shashwat believes there are numerous opportunities beyond playing.

“I would say that there are a lot of opportunities and you have to back yourself to pursue them. The dreams can definitely come true even if it’s not as a professional player but as a professional analyst or a person in the coaching staff,” he said. “You can always prove yourself and make sure you get to the top because we all have it in ourselves to make it work.”

His achievement comes at a particularly significant time for Indian football. Shashwat left India in 2024, when, he says, several people advised him to move abroad and pursue opportunities elsewhere. He believes the problems surrounding Indian football have made the need for young talent to seek international exposure even more important.

“Football has had a major decline due to the political perspectives at the Federation and that’s been something that has caused a lot of problems and controversy,” he said.

But rather than viewing his move as an escape from Indian football, Shashwat sees it as an opportunity to demonstrate what Indian talent can achieve when given the right platform.

“I think me going and getting a role in England where football is worshipped puts out an idea that people should escape their comfort zone and showcase their talent at the global stage,” he said. “That’s something they should be doing to make their dreams come true.”

For Shashwat, there is also a strong sense of pride in representing Goa within one of the world’s most advanced football environments.

“Being the only Goan right now working in performance analysis at a Category 1 Academy which is the highest rating for academies worldwide, it helps me put out the dream that we can always achieve what we want to,” he said.

He hopes his journey will inspire youngsters back home to consider careers in sport that they may never have previously imagined possible.

“This can also start a spark within the youngsters growing up to pursue a unique opportunity to follow a career in sport,” Shashwat said.

His journey has been shaped not only by those who supported him but also by those who doubted him. Kamat acknowledges that there were people who tried to pull him down, but says the young students who looked up to his journey provided him with an additional motivation to keep pushing forward.

“There are a lot of young students who really looked up to me and my journey, looking to imitate a similar journey in sport,” he said.

For Shashwat, reaching Wolves is therefore not simply a personal achievement. It is also about showing youngsters that there are multiple pathways into football and that success does not necessarily require them to become professional players.

“Me achieving this goal also makes sure that every student out there can get in this field and do his or her best and reach the top,” he said. “That’s something I’ve always wanted to highlight — that if I can do well, they can do better and way better.”

From a 16-year-old joining his dream club FC Goa to working as a Performance Analyst inside a Category 1 academy at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Shashwat Kamat’s journey offers a timely reminder that while Indian football may be facing challenges, Indian football talent continues to have the potential to make its mark on the world stage.