Rurka Kalan’s YFC to take on world in Street Child World Cup

Tribune News Service

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, October 2

Ten young footballers from Punjab are all set to represent India in the Street Child World Cup (SCWC). The boys, aged between 15 and 17, were chosen by Rurka Kalan’s Youth Football Club (YFC). The SCWC will be held in Doha from October 7 to 15.

The team was chosen after a one-and-a-half-year process, with 400 players turning up for the trials. Of the 10 members, six hail from Rurka Kalan, two from Mansa and one each from Ajnala and Dherain.

This will be YFC’s second outing in the SCWC. The YFC boys’ team had emerged champions in the 2010 edition in Durban.

The Indian girls’ team will be sent through Karunalaya, a Chennai-based organisation working for the protection and rehabilitation of street and working children since 1995.

“In India, YFC has been selected as the nodal organisation to pick the team for the SCWC,” YFC’s founder Gurmangal Das said. “These are boys from extremely poor families, sons of labourers, those whose parents are bed-ridden. We feel very proud to represent the country yet again. Our boys emerged champions in 2010 and we hope to repeat it this year,” Das added.

Karamjit Kaur, mother of the team’s goalkeeper Karan, said, “We are overjoyed. Karan’s father has been bed-ridden for the last 15 years. I have been selling diyas (earthen lamps) to make a living. Karan has made us proud. He’s doing everything for the family. I’m positive his team will win.”

Fourth edition

This is the fourth edition of the SCWC, which is held before the FIFA World Cup. The Qatar edition will have 28 participant teams from 24 countries — 13 in the girls’ section and 15 in the boys’ category.

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