: An Unfulfilled Dream Inspires Man To Coach 250 Girls To Play International Football #IndiaNEWS #Football Most of the population of Jharkhand’s Karma village, located near Ranchi, belongs to the

An Unfulfilled Dream Inspires Man To Coach 250 Girls To Play International Football #IndiaNEWS #Football
Most of the population of Jharkhand’s Karma village, located near Ranchi, belongs to the tribal community. Despite being close to the state capital, where women study and work by exercising their will, the girls from this village are barely “allowed�? to lead an independent life.
In many instances, they never step out of the house except to carry out chores assigned by their family members. They hardly finish higher secondary school and are married off at a young age.
But not anymore.
Today the girls of Karma are scripting a new success story with a simple game of football.
All this is thanks to Anand Kumar Gope, who is helping the girls of his village chase a new destiny, and pushing them to be more independent and create an identity for themselves. A former football player and a licensed coach, he has dedicated his life to grooming gems that now represent India at the national level.
Bend it like Anand
Student undergoing training at a camp.
What is the 30-year-old’s motivation to carry out this initiative? An unfulfilled dream, he says.
“I have played football since my childhood, and have always been passionate about the sport. My parents always encouraged me, and I even played at the Ranchi league and district levels in 2010, 2011 and 2012. However, my family’s poor financial condition never allowed me to train and participate at a national level,�? he tells The Better India.
Anand says that upon realising that he could not pursue his dream because he had to support his family, he decided to put his skills to use for a social cause.
“I have seen many girls in my village who never went to school or completed their education. They are married at a young age for a few thousand rupees of dowry and sent to states like Rajasthan and Haryana,�? he shares.
Anand says he wanted to change this and thought that giving these girls an opportunity through sports could potentially change their destiny. “The mindset of the community needed to change,�? he says.
However, it was easier said than done.
Over six months, Anand spent most of his time persuading parents to allow their daughters to play football. “The parents did not budge. The girls in the village had never been involved in sports or other extra-curricular activities, and their parents questioned the motive the game would serve. Football skills would not help in running a family and raising children, they said,�? he says.
Regardless, Anand continued his tireless efforts and even spoke to the girls to see how willing they were to play. “The girls had always seen boys play the game, but had never touched the ball or received an opportunity to play themselves.