M B Santhosh Kumar is one of four FIFA-accredited referees in India.

Despite the FIFA tag, he drives an autorickshaw for a living. Such is the state of sport in our country!

Rediff.com's Manu A B meets the referee from Kerala, so desperate that he is willing to work as a peon to get by.

A n FIFA-accredited referee drives an autorickshaw to make ends meet.

Hard to believe, but this can happen in India...

M B Santhosh Kumar, a native of Kottayam district in Kerala, has the distinction of being one of four FIFA accredited referees in India.

Santhosh Kumar has refereed over 100 national matches, even ones featuring football stars like Lionel Messi, Thomas Mueller and Bhaichug Bhutia. He is the only referee from Kerala with FIFA accreditation.

Despite the prestigious FIFA tag, he continues to juggle small-time jobs to support his family.

Today, the 37-year-old Santhosh Kumar's ambition of refereeing a World Cup match, a dream nurtured by every international referee, is fading away fast, as he struggles to make a living, doing double shifts as a caretaker and an autorickshaw driver, to look after his four-member family.

"Internationally, referees peak during their mid-thirties and they are in demand till they touch 40, as you have to be extremely fit. There is not much hope in terms of an international career for me. So I need a permanent job, even that of a peon would help me and my family," he says in desperation, one year after he got his FIFA referee accreditation.

Bogged down by financial problems, he submitted petitions to Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's office and Kerala Sports Minister K B Ganesh Kumar for a job. But his efforts turned out to be futile.

"My house is old and dilapidated. I wish I could build a new house. I have lot of responsibilities as my children are young. I don't know how long I will be able to carry on with refereeing," says Santhosh.

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