JHARKHAND: Anand Prasad Gope (30) hails from Karma, a village under Ormanjhi block on the outskirts of Ranchi in Jharkhand. He could not make it to the Indian football team, but now helps others bend the ball. Gope has given free football coaching to nearly 300 youths, mostly girls.
"About 25 students have represented Jharkhand in various national-level tournaments. Eight went to England and six to Denmark to represent India in the under-17 team," says Gope. Two of his students - Soni Munda and Anita Kumari - have been selected to attend the camp for 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Gope, a certified D-licence coach, says he started giving free coaching to 15 girls in 2013. Now, he trains nearly 300 youths; 250 of them are girls. All these girls are between eight to 18 years old, and had never ventured out of the homes or even heard about football.
Due to their poor financial condition, their families married them off in their childhood to grooms from other states like Rajasthan and Haryana, and lieu of a huge dowry, narrates Gope.
For a better future
"When I grew up, I observed that the girls in the region never went to schools and were married off outside the state by their parents in their tender age, which hurt me a lot," says Gope, who had played football up to the district level and Ranchi league.
Coming from a poor family himself, Gope had to forego his own dreams for domestic responsibilities. To bring about a change, he first started talking to the girls' parents to change their mindsets. He took almost six months to persuade them to allow their daughters to play football.
"Initially, the villagers passed snide comments for the girls taking up football and wearing shorts. Gradually, the girls got used to it," says the football coach. Many of the girls did not attend school, so he got them enrolled to nearby schools, and they started attending classes regularly.
Gope said his sports initiative has helped keep a check on child marriages in the region. He recalls having saved one of his students from being married off at the age of 12 just for Rs 25,000. That girl was later selected for the Jharkhand Under-14 team and attended India Camp in Gujarat to represent India in Tajikistan.
Well-minded people have come forward and donated money to Gope's initiative, which he has used for purchasing sports gear such as football kits, jerseys and boots for his trainees. Most of them, though, play barefoot or wear normal shoes, he added.
He has also prepared a battery of young coaches who support him in training the junior players. "I train senior girls in the morning, who in turn help me train the junior students in the evening," says Gope, who wants the state government to set up a residential coaching centre in Ranchi. He even met Chief Minister Hemant Soren for the matter, but adds nothing has been done so far.
Students speak
Anshu Kacchap, currently pursuing her graduation, is being trained by Gope since 2013, and represented India Under-17 Football team in England and Denmark in 2018 and 2019. "I want to play further for the senior national team and make my career in football and bring medals for the country," she says, enthusiastically.
Another student, Anita Kumari from Chari Hujir village under Kanke block in Ranchi, has played many national tournaments like Khelo India, School National, and now she has been selected for the camp being organised for FIFA Under-17 World Cup. However, her situation at home doesn’t support her sporting dreams.
Her mother works as a labourer and father is jobless. "We receive very good training by Anand sir, but we don’t get the proper diet at home which is required for the players. If given government support, all girls can play better," says a hopeful Kumari.
Keeping a check on child marriage
Gope recalls having saved one of his students from being married off at the age of 12 just for Rs 25,000. That girl was later selected for the Jharkhand Under-14 team and attended India Camp in Gujarat to represent India in Tajikistan.