Mohammad Sajid Dhot

Mohammad Sajid Dhot is an Indian footballer hailing from Punjab. He plays for the Delhi Dynamos as a defender in the ISL. Developing an interest in the sport at a tender age, Dhot joined the Chandigarh Football Academy for professional training.

He soon advanced to U-13 and U-14 space, representing India at occasions including at the AFC championships and showcased excellent performance. Owing to which, Dhot was one of the 16 selected for training at the IMG Academy in Florida for a year. Though he was initially concerned about being away and losing on academics, this training stint was a turning point for the young defender as he played with and against top-notch players.

The 16-men squad ended up winning the IMG U-15 Cup and reached the semi-finals of the Dallas Cup. In an interview, he stated that coaches and players of other teams at the Academy not only helped him but also developed his game. Soon after he returned to India, he was selected to join at the AIFF Elite Academy and played in their U-19 squad. He participated in the U-16 AFC Championships, after which Dhot was called up to the U-19 national camp in Goa.

He appeared in 6 matches for the U-19 squad in the following years. For the 2015-16 season, DSK Shivajians signed him for the I-League impressed by his performance in the U-19 I-League. He only played two matches for the club that season, his debut match being against Salgaocar. He continued with the club for another season, once again being a fringe player appearing in just two fixtures.

In 2017, ahead of the 3rd edition of the ISL, Delhi Dynamos picked him from ISL Player's Draft and offered a 3-year contract, which Dhot inked. For the season, he appeared in 7 of DDFC's matches with some impressive numbers despite being injured. He had stated earlier at an interview that the foreign players in his team have helped improve his game, especially Venezuelan Gabriel Cichero and Spanish Edu Moya.

Dhot is of the opinion that the opportunities for young players have increased since India’s victory in the U 17 World Cup and believes that Delhi Dynamos is a club every youngster would love to be a part of as it gives equal chances to all quality players.

He also claims that among all the attackers he had faced in his debut ISL season, Pune City's Emiliano Alfaro was the toughest. With his eyes set on more matches than last season, Dhot is currently preparing for the upcoming edition of ISL to make a good enough impression to sail him into the national team.