Slum Soccer:This isn't just about football!

“I have an identity now. It’s a rare moment of pride and joy for me and my family,” says a beaming Priyanka Vitthal Wandhare, her eyes lighting up as she talks about taking the flight to Germany. Daughter of a carpenter and an anganwadi sevika, 21-year-old Priyanka is one among 15 women who have been invited by the German Football Association to participate in Discover Football, an international women’s football tournament to be held in Berlin from June 27-July 3. But, for Priyanka and her 14 other friends, all of whom who hail from the humblest of backgrounds in Nagpur’s neighbouring districts, it’s not just a football competition. It’s given them recognition in the eyes of their parents — many of whom still harbour prejudices against a girl child — and made them instant celebrities in their district neighbourhood, where people might have taken the bus/train journey to nearby Pune and Mumbai, but being on an aircraft still remains stuff of dreams. “People recognise me in the market now. They tell their children, ’look she’s the one who’s going to Germany.’ It makes me so happy,” gushes Priyanka. Speaking to Firstpost after kicking around for a while with her teammates at Azad Maidan on a cloudy Friday afternoon, the girl from Chandrapur district near Gadchiroli adds, “But it’s the appreciation from my parents that has been the biggest achievement. Now, they think that even a girl child can be daring enough to chase her dreams.” “I haven’t slept much ever since I got to know I’ll be travelling on a plane. It’s a little hard to believe. No one in my family or even an extended relative has ever been on a plane. My mother is speechless. Her joy knows no bounds,” says an excited Ujwala Krushanji whose mother is a sweeper in a primary school. Ujwala lost her father early and her mother hardly makes enough to provide for her three kids. “There were reporters outside our house the other day wanting to interview me. I saw myself on TV and also in the papers. It was a surreal experience,” smiles Sneha Kamble, before talking about the pressures of being the goalkeeper of the team. [caption id=“attachment_31107” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“For these girls, the Berlin football festival is not just a sporting competition. It”]  [/caption] The captain of the team is 52-year-old Vijaya Pande, who likes to describe herself as a ‘spinster married to sports.’ “I’ve dedicated my life to sports and towards helping young girls pursue their interest in sports,” says the bespectacled Vijaya as the younger lot rally around her praising her for her efforts. Helping all these women break the boundaries that poverty imposes is Slum Soccer, a Nagpur-based organisation which works towards the upliftment of certain backward sections of society through football. In fact, the Slum Soccer squad of 15 girls will represent India at the Berlin football festival, which will also see participation from countries like Brazil, Togo, Afghanistan, Israel, Rwanda and Cameroon. “We got an invitation from the German Football Association to participate in the tournament. All the expenses will be borne by them,” says Slum Soccer CEO Abhijit Barse. “We have been taking part in international football festivals for the last two years and that’s how they got to know about us,” he adds. Barse says the real challenge was to form a girls-only football team. “It’s easier to get the boys to play football. Not many girls like to play the sport and those who do, given their backgrounds, the parents are not willing to let them play. Fear of the society and the tradition of the girl child remaining indoors and helping in the household work is what stops them,” explains Barse who then came up with a novel idea of convincing the parents. “I hired women coaches hailing from similar backgrounds and sent them over to speak to the parents. My coaches might not be technically very sound, but then they are in touch with reality. That’s what we needed and now we have 15 girls playing for us,” he smiles. “But then this isn’t just about football. It’s about getting a chance to interact with women from other states and understanding that they are not alone. We also plan to launch educational programmes for these girls and help in their all-round development. We want them to develop into confident individuals,” says Barse, talking about Slum Soccer’s future plans. Seems like Barse is slowly getting there. Only a short while ago Priyanka told me, “I see a future for myself here. I want a job with the Police department and I’ve heard that they have a sports quota. I’ll work hard to ensure I lead a better life than my parents.” As the clouds turn a patch of grey, the girls wind up practice and head back for some much-needed rest ahead of a journey that holds the promise of shaping their future.