Former Indian footballers run grassroots academy from Mumbai’s Vakola

Children from the Valmiki Samaj Panchayat settlement pose on the Sportzella Football Academy turf in Vakola. Pics/Atul Kamble

At first glance, Sportzella Football Academy (SFA), run by former India football captain Raju Gaikwad, 35, and his elder brother and former junior India footballer Neil Gaikwad, 43, looks like any other football academy operating from a small artificial turf in a narrow lane in Vakola, Santacruz.

Brothers Raju (left) and Neil Gaikwad, who run Sportzella Football Academy in Vakola

But the academy shares a boundary with the Valmiki Samaj Panchayat (VSP), a densely packed settlement of hundreds of small homes, some measuring barely 10x10 feet, and around 1000 residents, according to the brothers. Many residents work as sanitation workers, sweepers and manual scavengers.

The spot near the entrance to the settlement where some men would gather to drink, use drugs and gamble, according to the Gaikwad brothers. Pic/Nimesh Dave

The brothers say the area around the settlement's entrance was once a gathering spot for some men who drank, used drugs and gambled, with residents also reporting robberies and violence. That began to change after the brothers noticed children from the settlement stopping to watch their football sessions.

More than football

An aerial view showing the Sportzella Football Academy turf and the neighbouring Valmiki Samaj Panchayat (left) settlement

For the Gaikwad brothers, the initiative is also about giving back. Their father, Eknath, was a national-level boxer and Shiv Chhatrapati awardee. "Our father Eknath, a national-level boxer and Shiv Chhatrapati awardee, always wanted us to not just play sport, but also give back to society through it. This is our way of honouring his legacy," says Raju, who captained India to the 2012 Nehru Cup title following a successful stint as the country's U-23 captain.

How it started

Trainees of the Sportzella Football Academy across all age-groups get together after a training session

"When we started SFA around three years ago, some men from the VSP area would hang around at the junction near the entrance, drinking, consuming drugs, gambling, and creating a ruckus. But their children, who attended the Hindu Seva Parishad school next door, would stop by on their way home and eagerly watch our training sessions. That's when Neil got an idea," Raju tells mid-day.

A free place on the team

Neil approached the men and offered to train their children for free, but asked them to stop the activities around the entrance. "I told them their kids were keen to learn football and that I was willing to train them for free, but only if they stopped these activities. They went home and spoke to their wives. Within a few days, the families responded positively."

Today, SFA has more than 100 students, including 30-40 children from the VSP community. While regular students pay Rs 2000 a month, the VSP children train for free and are provided with jerseys, shorts, shoes and stockings.

Getting the children to fit in

Neil says bringing the VSP children into the academy came with its own challenges. "Some of the VSP kids initially struggled with aggression, discipline, and abusive language, given their tough family circumstances. So, I separated them from the regular students and worked on controlling their aggression and temper. It took a few weeks of training and minor punishments, such as additional drills for misconduct, and eventually they realised that if they didn't behave, they would not get the fancy playing kit, boots, and stuff." The children were eventually integrated with the academy's other students.

‘They have changed our view of life'

Sixteen-year-old Suraj Singh is among the VSP children training at SFA. His father, Sujit, is a watchman at a neighbouring society, while his mother, Archana, works as a sweeper. Archana says the academy has changed the way children in the settlement see their future.

"SFA has changed our view of life. Firstly, Neil and Raju have worked hard to rid our neighbourhood of anti-social activities. Then, they have also given our children a free and fair platform to compete with kids from different sections of society, and perhaps even outshine them in future," she says.

[popcorn number="100+" desc="Students at SFA" class="Default"]

[popcorn number="30-40" desc="Children from the VSP community" class="Default"]

[popcorn number="Rs 2,000" desc="Monthly fee for regular students" class="Default"]

[popcorn number="Free" desc="Training and kit for VSP children" class="Default"]