BEING PART OF THE TEAM: DISHA

Posted by India - 11.06.2011

Disha represented India at the Milan 2009 Homeless World Cup as one of two female players in a mixed team. She shares her life-changing story.

I come from a small town called Bhandara about 60 km away from Nagpur. Since my childhood I lived in poverty and resided in a slum.

We never had enough to eat or wear and although I attended school, I never really knew what the real world was like.

My father reluctantly allowed me to play football, but my family was not really supportive. Once my talent started coming through, I was encouraged to play more frequently. However, opportunities to play were few and far between.

Slum Soccer India (The Homeless World Cup partner project in India) conducted a football tournament every year for the slums in Bhandara and I felt so envious of the boys playing. I felt I would never really become a part of the team.

However, that year the team wanted female players to become a part of the team. I appeared at the selection trials and was delighted to be selected for the Indian Homeless World Cup team, soon after I started training at the Slum Soccer academy.

I was so fortunate to attend the Milan 2009 Homeless World Cup. The people I met there were all different, they all had stories to tell about where they came from and how their lives had changed. I had never even stepped inside an airport so travelling by air was an experience in itself. Milan is an extremely beautiful city.

One of the most amazing things about the Homeless World Cup was that everyone at the tournament was very friendly. I made so many friends with participants from countries like Germany and Denmark.

I was awarded best female player of the tournament and at first I didn’t realise what had happened! When everyone started cheering and congratulating me I was overwhelmed. I remember thinking that if my parents were there they would have cried with joy.

Everywhere I went after that, people would point out at me. I loved being treated like that.

On the flight back home the attendants wanted to take pictures with me and it felt very nice. When I came back my picture and story was featured in newspapers. When I started visiting slums to encourage other kids, I could see that they all wanted to become like me.

Playing for Slum Soccer at the Homeless World Cup has given me a mission in life.

It has made me realise that I can make a difference in other children’s lives. I want to become a coach and teach other girls to play football.

Returning from Milan I completed my school exams and soon after that, I began to take part in site visits where the coaches from Slum Soccer went from slum to slum and encouraged girls to come and play.

I feel I now have a great opportunity to help other young women in my country to enjoy and benefit from playing football.

Pursuing her interest in coaching Disha now works as an assistant coach with senior coaches and is helping to train the next generation of Indian female footballers who will compete at the Paris 2011 Women’s Homeless World Cup.

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