The journey has been long yet remarkable. Life for most of these under privileged girls was restricted to their dingy homes in rural Jharkhand. And then the transformation happened.
The right guidance, strong determination and a game called soccer became the catalyst of change. Since then, their love for football is taking them places.
Now the young girls are all set to display their skills on foreign fields. The 18-member under 14, all girls team is flying to Spain to play for the Donosti Cup and Gasteiz Cup, starting from July 1.
The inspiring story began when Franz Gastler, an American from Minnesota saw the initial spark and gave their talent a definitive direction.
In 2009, Franz, a Boston University graduate, who also has a degree from Harvard Law School, decided to bid adieu to his corporate job in Delhi. His frequent trips to Jharkhand ultimately paved the way for Yuwa, a non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote a youth-driven approach to community advancement in rural India. “Yuva constantly supports the under-served families who earn less than one dollar a day by rewriting their futures through soccer,” says Franz.
Initially soccer did not figure in the good Samaritan’s scheme of things. “My focus was on education and then one fine day, a little girl at the centre, approached me with a request to teach her soccer. I have been into active sports, have played ice hockey and judo at a competitive level but professional soccer was certainly not my forte. However, as a sportsperson, I do not own the trait of giving up on anything without a genuine try. My next course of action was to keenly watch soccer matches on Youtube. And then a thought dawned upon me — Alex Fergeuson may be the best coach of the game, but I believe, the best coach is the game itself.”
Once Franz positively responded to the girl’s request, some more enthusiasts turned up at Yuwa to pick up the finer nuances of the game. As time progressed, their skills were horned and the girls started participating in the state-level tournaments, including the Embassy Cup in Delhi.
While education remains a top priority, football plays an alluring role in motivating the girls to look at Yuwa’s direction.
Revisiting the past few years, Franz admits the walk so far has not been entirely smooth. “There was resistance from some quarters. The reservation mostly hovered around the idea of females encroaching a space predominantly reserved for males. Some families expressed their discomfort at the ‘kind of clothes’ the players need to wear. And some had practical grievances, ‘the girls need to do house-hold chores’, was their point. Eventually, the hurdles were done away with and soccer took centre stage in the lives of these rural girls.”
The practice session happens six days a week and lasts for two to three hours a day, “There are more than 250 girls at Yuwa and selection for Spanish tournament was a tough task. Finally the 18-member team was chosen on their outstanding dexterity in soccer,’’ he informs.
Gamesa India has come forward to sponsor their trip to Spain.
Ramesh Kymal, chairman and managing director of the company, says “We are proud to sponsor Yuwa’s initiative spearheading rural upliftment in Jharkhand, which leads the country in child marriages, human trafficking and Naxalite insurgency.”
As coach, Franz introduces his 14-member team, some of the girls respond with a shy smile, while most of them are oozing with confidence. Having taken a train ride for the first time to travel from Ranchi to Kolkata, the idea of boarding a plane for Madrid evokes both excitement and anxiety.
“Imagine being in mid air. It will be so scary,” says Sharada Kumari. Ask them about their favourite players and they all scream in unison, “Messi”. A little more prodding, and one of them mentions, “Ronaldo.”
No surprises, the chorus of Chakde India rings in the air at the mention of celluloid inspiration. Pushpa Kumari adds with a smile, “We love watching this movie and we especially enjoy Shah Rukh Khan’s speech. It teaches about team spirit and the right focus. Hopefully like the Chakde girls, Team Yuwa will also win.”