In the village of Pahadi, located in Kashi, a remarkable transformation has taken place. Just 12 years ago, children in this village were engrossed in gambling, but today, every evening, they flock to the ground, eager to play football. The village has become a mini-Brazil, with 300 children from 1500 families passionate about the sport. What’s even more remarkable is that most of these players are girls.
The story begins with Bhairav Dutt, a footballer from a nearby colony, who introduced the children to the sport. He brought in a few footballs, cleared the ground, and created makeshift goalposts. Initially, only 7-8 children showed up, but Bhairav’s dedication and coaching soon drew in more. Today, his students are national and international players, securing jobs and scholarships through their talent.
Srishti, a three-time national player, credits Bhairav for her first football kit. She recalls watching others play and wondering if she could join in. Bhairav has spent 40 years nurturing this generation of players. The children who started playing at the age of five are now 17. Bhairav, from Pithoragarh, came to Kashi for a job but ended up creating a legacy of footballers.
Seven girls are pursuing research at BHU and Guwahati, while three have become professors. Seven more are studying in Punjab on scholarships. The condition for these scholarships is to win medals, which these girls have done with ease. Some have even joined football clubs in Odisha and West Bengal. 75 girls from the village have played at the national level, including eight from the Lakhpati family, who have won the most medals. Parvati’s family has six sisters, three of whom are footballers, and two have played nationally.
The ground where these children first started playing is now a building. The village, which has produced 300 players, no longer has a ground. They now have to travel 1.5 kilometers to Baraka to play.
With inputs and images from Amarujala.com
