By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Feb 22
IT WAS started to divert the minds of slum-dwellers from committing petty crimes. Slum Soccer, founded in Nagpur by the then Head of Sports Department of Hislop College Prof Vijay Barse, was ‘born’ to help the down-trodden and neglected ones shape their wayward careers.
But today, the organisation has grown into an institution which has shaped and saved many careers.
With its disciplined hard work and commitment, the organisation which was started in 1999 by Prof Vijay Barse, started getting recognition nationally.
Slum Soccer has made a lasting impact in the lives of many and it has now been acknowledged around the globe. The organisation has been nominated for this year’s Laureus Sport for Good Award.
The Laureus World Sports Awards is a much-awaited annual award ceremony that honours individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year.
Laureus tweeted on its social media about the nomination of Slum Soccer for Laureus Sport for Good Award.
“@slumsoccer has been shortlisted for the #Laureus23 Sport for Good Award for the work it does tackling the root causes of poverty in India and giving young people the skills to break the cycle of deprivation.”
Slum Soccer is doing several life changing programmes through soccer which includes EduKick, DeafKidz Goal, Shakti Girls, Community Centre, GameChangers Youth Leadership and National Inclusion Cup.
‘EduKick’ is teaching math, language and life skills in low income schools through football while through ‘Shakti Girls’, it focuses on reproductive health, women’s rights and leadership through football.
Similarly, ‘DeafKids Goal’ works with hearing impaired children and youth while through ‘Community Centres’ it helps youth stay away from drugs and alcohol.
The ‘GameChangers’ is to promote leadership in youth while the National Inclusion Cup is a national-level football tournament that gives a platform to youth from the country to showcase their football talent. The organisation also selects players who represent India at the Homeless World Cup.
Abhijeet Barse, CEO, Slum Soccer was elated with the nomination and said that it’s their disciplined hard work that has led the organisation to get recognised globally.
“It is an immense honour to be shortlisted for this award. I am grateful for the opportunity given to use sports to make a positive impact in the community and I look forward to continuing this work,” Abhijeet Barse shared his happiness with ‘The Hitavada’.
“While our work has been recently in the spotlight regionally, this award will take us to an international level of recognition,” Barse proudly said.
Slum Soccer had won the TimesNow Amazing Indians Award last August (2022).
With a small centre at his Civil Lines residence, Prof Vijay Barse took Slum Soccer to Pune, Kolkata and Delhi along with smaller training centres in Chandrapur and Wardha as well.
Slum Soccer will compete with four other nominees for the award which include TeamUp a movement-based psychosocial support intervention developed by War Child, Save the Children and UNICEF the Netherlands that uses physical activity to relieve stress in children affected by war or conflict; ‘Boxing Girls’ that uses boxing to challenge stereotypes and empower young women in Kenya; ‘Made For More’, a programme whose mission is to make sport inclusive for people with disabilities in South Africa and ‘High Five’, a project that uses action sports to help orphaned and migrant children integrate into new communities in Germany.
Recently, a movie on Prof Vijay Barse named ‘Jhund’ was released with Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan in lead role. The movie was based on the works of Barse through Slum Soccer.
In 2016, Slum Soccer had won the inaugural FIFA Diversity award.
The award winners will be announced at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
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