For young Khatib Mohammed, 14, football is like the air he breathes. The beautiful game motivates him and it has become his passion. However, a couple of years ago, his desire to play football virtually came to an end as he faced plenty of hardships following the untimely demise of his father Aslam, the breadwinner in the family, due to illness. But thanks to the backing from his mother (Nasim) and uncles, he is still playing and has been playing a major role in shaping the success of his school, St Mary's SSC. The Mazagaon outfit reached the MSSA inter-schools boys U-16 Div I final yesterday, beating Jamnabai Narsee 1-0 at Azad Maidan.

Difficult times
"I was eight when I lost my father. He worked as a manager with Digi Cable Company, while my mother stayed at home to look after my younger sister and me. My father's death created a huge void for us and since he was the only earning member, it affected our finances. We had to cut down on expenses and I had to stop playing football," the talented Khatib revealed to mid-day after yesterday's semi-final.