Football is not just a game for Arjun Balakrishnan. It is life itself. Coming from a backward family, residing in the Scheduled Caste Colony at Kallanode, Kozhikode, he lacks basic amenities, even a good shelter to stay. However, he has managed to break all barriers, and today he is one of the promising sub-junior players in the state.
The four-member family comprising Arjun, his father Balakrishnan, a construction worker, mother Beena and younger brother Nakul, a fourth standard student at St Thomas High School, Koorachundu, live in a half-built structure with roofs thatched with plastic sheet.
Since there has been no move on the part of the authorities to realise the family’s dream of a roof over their head, Koorachundu Malayoram, a Facebook collective of locals, has come up with a novel initiative to build a house for Arjun after seeing his shanty house.
Kunhammed Koorachundu, one of the founder members of Koorachundu Malayoram, says that they have initiated the groundwork to construct a new house for the family and have launched a chat ‘Arjun Balakrishnan mission’ on Facebook to amass support from netizens.
“We have set up a committee of 29 active members from our FB community and local residents for the construction of the house. A sum of `1,14,000 has been offered for our initiative through Facebook and from this we have received around `40,000 so far" says Kunhammed, a businessman in Saudi Arabia.
"As many of the donors have requested us not to reveal their names, we have not brought out the estimate now. However, we will present the financial matters before the public, after the completion of the works”, says Kunhammed.
Arjun started playing football when he was 10 years old, but began receiving attention when he played in the under-13 state championship held last year.
His speed and amazing talent secured him a place in the state team. Arjun displayed his real talent in the under-13 national championship held last year in Kolkata, in which he scored two goals against Manipur.
“I want to make it big, I want to play for the country one day,” says Arjun. His performance in the national championship turned his life and his football career.
He has been selected to the sports hostel in Ernakulam and now he is in his eighth standard at Panampilly Nagar Government HSS.
For Balakrishnan, a construction worker who struggles to make both ends meet, this is a great relief. “Arjun is a promising player and as there is no accomodation facility available in the sports hostel in Kozhikode, the player has gone to Ernakulam. We will try to bring him back to Kozhikode next year after we get a hostel facility for him in any of the schools in the city, says SEPT coach Manoj Kumar.
With the right kind of training and support, nothing can stop this young champ.