Jun 09 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)
KICK-START LIFE
ANUPA BARIK |
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TNN
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From the bylanes of the city's red-light area to the mecca of soccer lovers, Old Trafford, this is the tale of a 16 year-old's near-impossible journey that finally ended in his dream coming true. Today, the teenager, Rajib Roy, is happy to spread the mantra of his life -try and try until you succeed -among his peers at Rahul Vidya Niketan, a school for sex workers' children at Baruipur on the fringes of Kolkata. Rajib is almost a messiah for these children as he shares with them his experiences from a six day football training under Manchester United and gives them a reason to live and dream.Being the son of a sex worker and living off the bare minimum essentials of life, Rajib went through a lot of struggle to reach the top of the ladder. Today, he boasts of being the first under-16 footballer in India to have a two-year contract with a FIFA-approved agent who will train and promote him globally.
Rajib now has a mission in life -to be a model for change in his society. His urge to incorporate his practice lessons from Manchester to the fields of Rabindra Kanan is slowly taking shape.
While his hard work and determination saw him reap rich dividends, it was his `godfather' Biswajit Mojumdar, for mer footballer and coach of Rajib's football academy, who led him ball academy, who led him through the rough journey.
Members of Rahul Vidya Niketan, a school set up by the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, and its founder, Samarjit Jana, believe that sport is one of the best ways to integrate these children into mainstream society.
Rajib's dream began materialising when he represented the school for the 2013 Airtel U-16 school football tournament which took place in seven cities in India. Though the team lost in the quarter-finals, Rajib was unani mously chosen by Airtel and the Indian Football Association (IFA) as one of the top 30 players of the tour nament. The list included Rajib's friend Arko along with 28 players from various parts of India. The sub sequent camp was held in Goa where ManU coaches scooped up the top 11 to travel to the city of the Red Devils for training. raining.
The UK experience and training have made Rajib an inspi ration and a real-life story that many in his area want to repliate. This right winger is sure to strike a goal at changing his underprivi leged community as he gets to coach and train the children of the area while reaching for the stars himself.
Rajib now has a mission in life -to be a model for change in his society. His urge to incorporate his practice lessons from Manchester to the fields of Rabindra Kanan is slowly taking shape.
While his hard work and determination saw him reap rich dividends, it was his `godfather' Biswajit Mojumdar, for mer footballer and coach of Rajib's football academy, who led him ball academy, who led him through the rough journey.
Members of Rahul Vidya Niketan, a school set up by the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, and its founder, Samarjit Jana, believe that sport is one of the best ways to integrate these children into mainstream society.
Rajib's dream began materialising when he represented the school for the 2013 Airtel U-16 school football tournament which took place in seven cities in India. Though the team lost in the quarter-finals, Rajib was unani mously chosen by Airtel and the Indian Football Association (IFA) as one of the top 30 players of the tour nament. The list included Rajib's friend Arko along with 28 players from various parts of India. The sub sequent camp was held in Goa where ManU coaches scooped up the top 11 to travel to the city of the Red Devils for training. raining.
The UK experience and training have made Rajib an inspi ration and a real-life story that many in his area want to repliate. This right winger is sure to strike a goal at changing his underprivi leged community as he gets to coach and train the children of the area while reaching for the stars himself.
