How Haiti's national football team rose from the rubble of the 2010 earthquake

The last time the tiny Caribbean island of Haiti made news was when it had suffered a devastating 70 magnitude earthquake in January 2010 The temblor killed more than 230000 Haitians and displaced 15 million in a country which ranks among the worldrsquos poorestThe news of the earthquake and the ensuing devastation made headlines world over but what is less known is the countryrsquos footballing renaissance since the tragedy Five years ago when the quake hit the Haiti Football Federation headquarters in the capital PortauPrince was flattened killing 37 of its employeesThe headquarters of the Haitian football federation in PortauPrince stands in ruins following the 70 earthquake in January 2010 PICAFPStarting from scratchLost in the rubble reportedly were all of the federationrsquos archives and trophies it had received throughout their history Haitian football in a sense had to start from scratch It was a beginning which India Super League ISL outfit Mumbai City FCrsquos defender Frantz Bertin and forward Sony Norde were also a part of playing for Haiti right after the earthquake in the qualifiers for the 2010 World CupSony NordeWith the earthquake disrupting the football league Edson Tavares the then coach of Haiti who was appointed just eight months after the tragedy drew up a list of Haitianorigin footballers playing in Europe The Brazilian then paid for his own flight to Europe where he hired a car and went on a road trip to convince the players playing in countries like France Spain and Belgium to play for the national side according to James Montaguersquos book lsquoThirty one nilrsquo a tome which chronicles the struggles of small footballing nations around the globe as they bid to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World CupThe results of the patchwork Haiti team were there for all to see mdash in 2012 just two years after the quake Haiti rose to No 39 in FIFArsquos rankingsIndia ranked 172 on the other hand has staunchly refused to let Persons of Indian Origin PIOs play for the country despite the national coach Stephen Constantinersquos eagerness to do soBorn and brought up in France before being picked to play for Haiti in 2007 Bertin still remembers the fateful day like it was yesterday ldquoI was playing for OFI Crete in Greece when the earthquake hit I had a few relatives in Haiti who I could not get in touch with for nearly a monthrdquo the defender recalledFrantz BertinBertin likened the interest for football in the tiny country to cricket in India ldquoWhen the national team plays the whole country stops to watch the game Football is the only thing that people in the country can enjoy The national team therefore is very important for Haitirdquo the 32yearold told sunday middayWhile Bertin was spotted when plying his trade in Europe Norde was first spotted by a scout as a precocious 10yearold while playing in a local tournament for his school in PortauPrince He was soon playing for the U11 Haiti team spending almost six to ten months a year in dedicated training camps with the team and would later represent the country in the U13 U15 and U17 teams before he got a senior squad callup in 2006Norde still vividly remembers the day he lost his house to the quake The forward said ldquoI was in Mexico when the earthquake hit but my mom and grandfather were in Haiti at the time My mom is everything for me I tried calling them frantically but could not get through as telephone lines had been snapped by the earthquake I flew the next day to Haiti and luckily my mom and granddad were alive but our house was gonerdquoFootballrsquos healing touchNorde added that the sport has been a balm for his countrymen ldquoSince 2010 not too many things have changed in Haiti The condition of the country is the same Football is the best thing Haiti has for now It is the number 1 sport there When the national team plays the whole country is happy In Haiti we have good quality football and a good league But it is a poor country so we donrsquot have the resources to develop footballrdquo Norde said They may not have the resources but Haiti is still 99 places above India in FIFA rankings a fact that should be a wakeup call for the socalled Sleeping Giants