ISC felicitates Street Child World Cup 2022 India participants

Indian Sports Centre (ISC), an apex body under the aegis of the embassy of India, recently hosted a felicitation dinner for the Street Child World Cup (SCWC) Indian teams at Calicut Notebook restaurant. Angeline Premalatha, charge d'affaires at the embassy of India, was the chief guest. ISC president Dr Mohan Thomas, general secretary T S Sreenivas, managing committee member Varkey Boban, Birla Public School principal Harish Sanduja, PixStory CEO Appu Esthose Suresh, Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) president P N Baburajan and Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) president Vinod Nair were some of the dignitaries present on the occasion. The players and officials were given a small token of appreciation by the hosts.While addressing the team, Premalatha said she was pleased to see that opportunities were being presented to such exceptionally talented and capable children. She also expressed pride that the girls are from her hometown.Girls' team captain Sandhya said still she can’t believe that it’s happening, and she is thankful for the encouragement and recognition provided by ISC. It is an immense pleasure getting such a level of appreciation and support for the team, she added.It was a great and overwhelming opportunity to visit the country that is going to host the FIFA World Cup, the boys' team captain said. "We are lucky for getting this rare chance to see in reality how the country is preparing for the World Cup."Dr Thomas said it doesn’t matter whether some team wins or loses, "it’s a privilege for the whole Indian community that we got an opportunity to felicitate our home country teams. They are the future promise of Indian football."Sreenivas and chairman of the ISC Advisory Council Mohamed Easa also extended their wishes and appreciation to the teams.MyySports, a digital streaming platform, was the official Global Digital Streaming Partner of the Street Child World Cup (football) in Doha, in partnership with Qatar Foundation. The event was organised by Street Child United, a UK-based non-profit organisation, to bring into focus the challenges faced by millions of underprivileged children around the world.The event hosted 28 teams of children from 25 countries, raising their visibility and providing a platform for the voices and demands of the street-connected youth to be heard.Two Indian teams have been selected and trained by Karunalaya and YFC Rurka Kalan, two well-known NGOs working with underprivileged and street children.Team India - Girls had nine girls from Chennai who have been selected in an open call by Karunalaya, an NGO working for the protection and development of street and working children in Chennai since 1995. The girls, most of them from the streets, live in Karunalaya’s shelter and were given football training to get them ready for the competition.Team India – Boys comprised 10 boys selected from more than 300 who participated in YFC Rurka Kalan’s trials for SCWC 22. The boys, most from financially deprived backgrounds, have one thing in common – their love for football and belief in the power of sports. YFC Rurka Kalan is a Jalandhar-based NGO working to empower local youth using football as a tool for social change.The group matches were held on October 11 and 12 and both Indian teams qualified for the next round. The girls' team advanced till the quarterfinals in the competition. The team was accompanied by Shagufta Khan, founding member & head - Content & Marketing at MyySports; Roxie Pabbi, head - Special Projects, MyySports; Paul, the team leader; Grace Beryl Christy, manager and caretaker of the girls, and Aldroy, coach.In the end, Egypt defeated Pakistan in the boys’ teamfinal, while Brazil beat Colombia in the girls' team final.The countries represented in the tournament included Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Colombia, Egypt, England, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Palestine, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Sudan, Syrian Forum, Tanzania, Uganda, US and Zimbabwe.