New Delhi, May 22 (IANS): I-League-winning goalkeeper Ubaid CK of Gokulam Kerala FC has auctioned his jersey he wore in the final against Manipur side TRAU and donated Rs 33,000 it fetched to Kerala government's Covid-relief fund.

The 31-year-old Ubaid said on Saturday that the decision to part with the jersey was not an easy one, as it was "almost like a piece of heart".

"This I-League title was a historic one. I have always dreamt of winning the title. Being a Malayali and winning it for a club from my state means a lot to me. So, this jersey was also quite special to me, almost like a piece of (my) heart," said Ubaid.

"I thought about hanging it in my house as a sovereign. But then some of my friends approached me with this idea. I thought that it would be put to

better use this way. So I decided to auction it."

Ubaid feels that all citizens who are in a position to help the government in its vaccination drive should come forward and donate.

"The main aim (of auctioning the jersey) is to garner more support for the Covid treatment from the people who can donate money. As a result, we are seeing that almost everyone who is able to donate some money is contributing heavily to the CM's Relief Fund.

"These are difficult times, and we can only overcome this situation by helping each other. I urge everyone who is able to help to go ahead and do it," said Ubaid.