From Dharavi to the dugouts

He gets the ball and gracefully weaves through three or four players before cutting it back one more time to bend it into the far corner and score a goal as he freewheels into wild celebration. While this might sound like a description of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a goal, that’s exactly what it feels like for 18-year-old Shahrukh Shaikh.

Shahrukh is part of the development team constituting of rag pickers from Dharavi, who are being trained by coaches from Bengaluru’s South United Football Club. The first-of-its-kind, this initiative is a community programme which aims to rope in underprivileged children and turn them into skilled footballers. At present, the centre trains around 60 kids from the age group eight to 20 years.

The grass-root programme is the brainchild of Loknath Char, CEO of the Bengaluru-based club. “We started it as a community programme for the underprivileged children, but we wanted it to be more than about making kids play football. We wanted them to have goals and aspirations and provide them with opportunities to build a career in sports,” says Loknath.

The kids are being trained by professional coaches, who have been imparting footballing knowledge to them for the last two years. The best of the lot have been selected to be a part of a development team, which will be participating in the third division of the Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA) League next year and Rakesh Tulsiram, coach of the team is confident that his boys are ready to take the next step. He says, “Now, we see a scope in them. So, this season we have decided to make a team and play in the MDFA league. Now, there is an objective in their approach.” Rakesh, who works alongside head coach, Shushant Pawar, feels playing competitive matches has helped the kids understand the value of both winning and losing.

The head coach, Shushant however, adds that it was quite a challenge in the initial stage. He says that football has helped children improve their personality, decision-making and teamwork: “Initially, we had a lot of difficulties. The understanding and the respect was hard to come. The abusive language, indiscipline, hot temperament and aggressive behaviour was difficult to control. So we provided them with a lot of counselling. Slowly they have come to understand that this programme is for them.”

According to Rakesh, the programme also helps the kids grow their personality off the field as well. “Coming from less fortunate backgrounds, they used to indulge in several bad habits. But football has given them a diversion. And now they have also realised that the game is helping them.”

Mohsin Shaikh, a 17-year-old, who is doing his first year of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering from the Bombay Flying Club, feels football has helped them keep away from bad habits by teaching them structure, discipline, and self-respect. “This game has helped us become fit physically as well as mentally. Our decision-making has improved. I was abusive and used to get involved in fist-fights earlier. Now all that is in the past,” he says.

Shushant also believes that this platform provides kids with an opportunity to create their own identity. “At one point of time, we will have to move out and let the children take over. It would be a matter of pride for them that they played in this team and would get to coach the same team. It will help inspire other underprivileged kids to follow in their footsteps,” he says. And there is indeed a bright future for these kids, feels South United owner, Sharan Parikh: “Once they are done with their training, we want these kids to play in the lower divisions of foreign leagues in the future.”