“Messi is god”, Chirag from Ahmedabad had put down on his bedroom’s wall. He put an end to his dream of turning a footballer and hanged himself after failing to crack the IIT entrance examination. When asked “who’s your idol”, Baljeet from Chandigarh shouted “Ronaldo”. Little did he know, India mein paida huye ho toh doctor ya engineer bano, footballer nahi. Baljeet went into severe depression after flunking two repeated semesters in his MBBS course. Priyank from Mumbai neither died nor lost out to depression. He loved football and hated Management. Along with his MBA classes, he started hating his parents too. Deep, wholesome, uncontaminated hatred.
So many Chirags die. So many Baljeets give up to depression. So many Priyanks begin to hate quietly. Who keeps a track? And meanwhile, a local “don” of Nagpur who used to work for local politicians and real estate mafias for threatening the opponents, with the faithful company of alcohol and smokes; came back to the usual stream of life again, all thanks to football.
Education: 6th pass. Father: A peon in a local hospital. Mother: House wife. Occupation: theft, robbery, gambling. Criminal record: 45 police cases. This is how Akhilesh Paul’s bio data would look like, years back. The same person, presently, teaches football to kids from slums and red light areas. Someone who has seen all the odds, and has beaten them all too. Could there be a better person to talk about football as career?
Quick money is dangerous and a young mind can’t often resist this provocation. The same thing somewhat had happened to Akhilesh who was influenced by the company of a few antisocial elements. However, by God’s grace, he came in touch with Mr. Vijay Barse, the founder of “Slum Soccer”, an organization committed to providing football lessons to underprivileged children. Mr. Barse noticed Akhilesh along with his gang sitting and playing cards, nearby the field where he took the children for net practice. Barse, one day, invited Akhilesh and his companions to play with them, which all of them firmly rejected. But Barse was determined. Hell bent on involving Akhilesh and his friends into the game, he kept calling out to them every day. One day, finally, they came down to the field and joined the game. In a matter of two weeks, Akhilesh was in love with football.
What happened next? On the 16th day, Barse suddenly denied to pass the ball to Akhilesh. Why? “He asked us to choose either of football or drinking, gambling and all that we did. By then, I was in love with football. I had to swear never to go back to my old evil habits anymore. I chose football” – Akhilesh proudly states.
This completely transformed his life. His performance in Homeless World Cup 2009 (Brazil) was so mesmerizing that it drew eyes of Mr. Moyes, the then coach of Manchester United who advised him to turn into a coach and use his splendid skills for teaching football.
But, why slum children? A man who has even spent his days in a graveyard, escaping from the police and stealing food from the beggars, knows how cutthroat life could be. Akhilesh, despite having performed exceptionally well in state and national level, was initially denied a passport to travel to Brazil, due to his past criminal records. He’s certainly someone who has undergone the struggle of shading off past identity, past deeds; all in a society which is so less forgiving at times. No wonder his heart would go out to all who’re deprived of a happy life. “My students call me ‘sir’ today. I never imagined I’d be called ‘sir’ ever. I am proud of it” – the wet eyes glitter in a strange happiness of fulfilment.
What has this life of a coach taught him? “I coach the children of red light area. I can’t imagine what a child must be going through each time someone asks him – who’s your dad? And he bluntly answers – I don’t know. I thought I had a tough life. But life is so huge. So many of us are trying to make our comebacks in so many ways. Why not simply stand by each other?’ – he answers.
So, what about football as a career? 100% placements? No. Assured employment. No. Opportunities? Yes. Exposure? Yes. Your child has listened to every bit of what you said, for 12 long years in school. From carrying a few kgs on the shoulder every day to bringing “A” grade in class tests, everything. Why not grant his wish for six months? Why not let him get down on the field, sprattle with the ball, run and play? Why not see if that is where he belongs? Potentials are to be nurtured. Nourished. If a group of children with little food, bodies paining of malnutrition and almost no equipment can do it simply out of determination and hard work, why not your child?
Meanwhile, in the present education system, a number of aspirations are murdered every day, in the name of “possibility”. “Probability”. “Scopes”. Who really decides, which career option is best for a student? Parents? Private tutors? Social media? Internet? Gigantic private coaching institutes? Or maybe, the neighbour’s son’s report card? Relative’s daughters annual pay package? How to really determine what’s best for a student? Something which earns ONLY a good pay package, or something which earns him self-satisfaction, love for his work, a good sleep at night? Is it too much of a child to expect his parents to listen to what he really wants? Why burden your child with dreams you couldn’t achieve in your life?
Oh, I think I missed something. You know how Akhilesh survives these days? He sells shoes on the footpath. What he earns isn’t sufficient, but that doesn’t cease him from doing what he loves to do. Teaching football. Teaching dreaming.
Think. Act. Now. We don’t want a Chirag, a Baljeet or a Priyank anymore.
This post is a part of our awareness campaign #MyCareerMyChoice. To read more posts from this campaign, please click here.
