From Chennai streets to Poland: Slum soccer stars to play at world cup

CHENNAI: They may not remember his name but they will never forget the way he played the game. An English coach who visited Our Lady Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chetpet seven years ago inspired three girls from the city's slums to play football.

Thenmozhi Meganathan, Pavithra Ganesan and Sankari Krishnan have been selected to represent India at the Homeless World Cup at Ponznan in Poland.

"We were amazed at the coach's football skills. He taught us the nuances of the game and we've never looked back after that," says Thenmozhi. Her schoolmates Pavithra Ganesan and Sankari Krishnan also took to the game.

The three girls, whose parents are maids and daily wage workers, put in years of practice to develop skills that allow them to more than hold their own against any player, male or female.

Pavithra and Thenmozhi, who live in Dasapuram in Chetpet, and Shankari Krishnan, a resident of Purasawalkam, were classmates at Our Lady Matriculation Higher Secondary School. The 19-year-olds are now final year BCom students at SDNB Vaishnav College for Women.

"Football has changed our lives," Pavithra says. "We even got into college through the sports quota. Thenmozhi, Shankari and I are the only girls selected for the Indian team. We can't wait to play in the tournament in Poland."

Sankari Krishnan, whose mother is a maid and the family's sole breadwinner, says she faced opposition at home when she first spoke about taking up the sport.

"My mother said football was not for girls," says Sankari. "But when she heard of my exploits, she decided to help make my dream come true."

The girls said boys would make fun of them in the beginning. "We will soon fly abroad for the first time and represent the country in an international tournament. The boys who teased us are still hanging around on street corners," says Thenmozhi.

Tall, lean and lanky, and gifted with a safe pair of hands, Thenmozhi is the number one choice goalkeeper for the Indian team.

In the four-player-per team tournament, each country is permitted three outfield players and one goalkeeper. A side can have up to four substitutes. Each game lasts 14 minutes and is played in two seven-minute halves.

More than 500 hundred players from 64 countries will take part in the Homeless World Cup that kicks off on August 11. The final will be played on August 18.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/loyrha4