Final yr, when Maruva Farzeen took to the turf in a five-a-side soccer event in Dindigul, she was the one woman with spikes on. Dodging previous boys taller than her with the ball, the midfielder helped her staff end third within the competitors.

Right now, Maruva, 15, is a identified face in her neighbourhood in Chennai’s Vyasarpadi, and trains on the SDAT sports activities hostel in Namakkal, beneath a full scholarship programme.

Maruva’s journey, from the congested lanes of North Chennai to the sprawling grounds of Namakkal, defines the wrestle of the town’s kids from deprived backgrounds who — in a society that considers sports activities a distraction, or worse, a waste of time — discover it laborious to do what they like.

So, when Maruva was noticed in 2022 by scouts for LatentView’s Chennai Kaalpandhu League (CKL) — a event involving under-13 college students from Authorities faculties — her father, Ussian Farzeen, an autorickshaw driver, was in opposition to her taking part in soccer. However her mom, Jasmine Farzeen, noticed a chance. After Maruva’s faculty hours, she whisked her away to the bottom — the mom and daughter having fun with a uncommon and fleeting second of freedom. And Jasmine was proper, the sector made a winner of Maruva.

“Since childhood, Cristiano Ronaldo has been my largest inspiration,” says Maruva. “I didn’t simply dream of carrying a jersey, I wished to be like him and assist my staff win. I need to preserve taking part in so long as I can.”

Yearly, many Maruvas hop onto soccer grounds — as a part of CKL, which promotes grassroots soccer — to interrupt free from a rigmarole that’s thrust onto them by a metropolis the place the inexperienced and open areas are making method for concrete jungles and warmth islands.

With scouts from Chennaiyin FC, LatentView’s Talent Improvement Centre identifies kids with a ardour for the game. One such scouting led them to Saidapet, the place they noticed M Umar, a uncooked soccer expertise. Umar, now 14, impressed the coaches along with his zeal, and his performances within the league earned him a chance to hitch the All India Soccer Federation’s Soccer Plus Academy in Chennai for six months, and a scholarship to coach in Spain.

“The coaching at CKL helped me participate in zonal and district tournaments and I acquired an opportunity to go to Spain. Whereas my dad and mom are very supportive, I need to focus on my Class X exams for now,” he says. However in contrast to Umar, A Ishwarya, 13, whom the coaches noticed within the league two years in the past, has set her eyes on soccer, eternally.

As soon as her mom, A Venila, a home assist, noticed her daughter rating 10 targets within the choice matches, she knew that the sport might assist the household escape poverty. So, sending Ishwarya to the SDAT hostel this yr on a scholarship was a simple determination. Recalling that day, Ishwarya says, “My most enjoyable second was getting chosen for the scholarship. I’m proud that I scored 10 targets within the trials!”

Pramad Jandhyala, LatentView’s co-founder, says they wished to take a “holistic view at studying past the classroom… and sport grew to become a pure selection”. With the rising reputation of soccer in Chennai, and sports activities being that nice leveller in society, CKL might give Authorities faculty college students an opportunity to be “part of that tradition”.

This yr, practically 500 college students performed in CKL, held from September 8 to 13 in Chennai. Of them, 20 will make the reduce and be a part of a two-year coaching programme involving Chennaiyin FC by which FIFA-accredited and SDAT-certified coaches will practice them for State- and Nationwide-level trials. Like Maruva, Ishwarya and Umar, these gamers will study to take small steps for an enormous leap.

Revealed – September 26, 2025 07:29 am IST