HIS dad skippered Fiji and he donned the white jumper too. Krishna Chetty was a feared marksman in the 60s and early 70s but luck eluded him when it came to Fiji FA's most coveted prize, the Lloyd Farebrother Trophy. He played in three IDC finals but always ended up on the losing side. He now resides in Perth, Australia, but is visiting family and friends in Lautoka.
Chetty started his playing career in Lautoka in 1965, the same year the Blues beat Suva 2-1 in Nadi to win the IDC title.
"I was very young then. I was part of the squad but did not play in that final," Chetty recalls.
Pala Cup
Chetty switched districts the following year and played for Suva from 1966-76 alongside players like Michael Joseph, Vijay Mani, KP Singh, goalkeeper Percy Kean, former Mr Fiji Pio Cavuilati and John Krishna "Chotka".
He came up against his home team Lautoka in the Pala Cup.
"It was in '66 or '67 when we beat Lautoka to win the cup. I scored two goals and "Chotka" scored one," he remembers.
"They (Lautoka) had players like my cousin Ratu Kaliappan, Onnie Wong and Vilitati Lee."
Chetty was always a threat to the Blues.
"I never lost a game against Lautoka," he says.
"It was tough for me and they (the fans) did not like me given that I was from there but always scored against them."
Tough luck
He recalls the 1972 IDC semi-final with Labasa as a heart-breaker.
"It was one of those games in which the ball just would not go in," Chetty says.
"Once it rolled off the crossbar and the other time the goalkeeper went one way and was well beaten but somehow the ball came off his leg.
"I was so frustrated and ended up in tears when we lost that game. That was a good Labasa team. They lost in the final to Rewa."
Chetty and his team were getting used to being second best having lost all three IDC finals from 1969 to 1971. In the '69 showdown in Labasa where they lost to Nadi, Chetty said they should have won.
"We had one Lenny Valentine . He was a fullback and a good dribbler. He dribbled from the back right to their goalmouth. All he had to do was pass to me as I was in the clear but he opted to go on his own and lost possession."
Independence trophy
Chetty did taste success in 1970, in the Independence Trophy challenge.
"We were down 1-4 against Nadi but came back to win that match with late goals. Then we came up against Labasa in the final at Albert Park." He scored the winner as they lifted the trophy with a 1-0 win.
Chetty refers to himself as a "fair bloke' who never had problems with referees but has bitter memories of one official "Satya Nand from Tavua".
"Whenever he was the referee, we never won a game," Chetty says. When Chetty and Suva met Lautoka he often came up against Ratu Kaliappan.
"If he (Kaliappan) scored a goal, I'd go on and congratulate him and when I scored, he did the same. My mates found it weird but I explained to them that we were cousins and that was us."
Chetty remembers Ba duo, the late Esala Masi Sr and Josateki Kurivitu as "top players" during his time.
Chetty, whose dad Subarmani Chetty was "the first Fiji captain", also represented the country at the 1969 South Pacific Games. Former Ba ace Bobby Sahadat, who played against him describes the pacey striker as "the most dashing centre forward in Fiji".
He was feared for his pace and aerial prowess. Hopefully, for the sake of Blues fans, some of his attributes rubs off on the Lautoka and Suva sides next week as he will be at Govind Park to see the IDC action.