From the slums of Kolkata to Old Trafford, Sonu and Sharik have come a long way

Sonu and Sharik were mascots in the Manchester United vs Liverpool game

Dreams have always spurred on humankind to greater heights, They’re the kind of inspiration that keeps pushing you harder and keep you moving in life. And for the ones with the determination to turn these dreams into reality, barriers like living in a slum or the ensuing lack of recognition, are but hurdles waiting to be cleared.

It was this determination, and the stark hunger to learn displayed by two kids from the slums of Kolkata, that brought them to the spotlight by automobile giants and Manchester United sponsor Chevrolet to achieve their dream of football.

India’s Sonu Rajbhar and Mohammed Sharik participated as Chevrolet mascots in Manchester United’s match against Liverpool at Old Trafford stadium on 12 September 2015 as part of Chevrolet’s Beautiful Possibilities Program. Sonu and Sharik were chosen from amongst so many others, in particular due to the resolve they displayed and their ability to overcome the challenges that life threw at them.

In the words of Chevrolet, they used “play” – and specifically football – to create hope, optimism and possibilities in their lives and those around them. As mascots in the game, they were joined by children from China, Brazil, Thailand and the United States. While walking out of the tunnel into the huge Old Trafford crowd, one can only wonder what could have been going through the two boys’ minds as Sonu accompanied Matteo Darmian and Sharik accompanied Memphis Depay.

The week prior to the match was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the mascots. Meeting Manchester United players and legends, attending Manchester United Soccer School and touring Old Trafford were but a few of the highlights of a week of fun-filled activities.

The Manchester United players wore the names of the mascots on the back of their shirts while entering the pitch. Both the representatives from India, Sonu and Sharik, had been selected from Slum Soccer, a non-profit organisation that strives to enable youngsters to enjoy playing the beautiful game.

Sonu, a 14-year-old from Kolkata, India, is known for his grounded personality, and boundless creativity and imagination. He has a humble demeanour and says his family has given him a good life. He strives to earn a living someday that will allow him to look after his family and give them a better life.

He lives with his parents, brother and sister and harbours dreams of one day being a professional footballer. Passion for football courses through his every action, as he is often seen making his own footballs with whatever he can find in his neighbourhood. Sonu’s interests include drawing, something he says his elder brother taught him, and his pictures exhibit his creativity that imagines a better world.

Sonu enjoys drawing sketches of footballers and dreams that one day thinks he will score a goal for India in the World Cup. He wishes to plant trees in his neighbourhood so that the kids can stay healthy and play football. His family are proud of the young lad too, wth his mother firmly believing that whatever Sonu does, he will do something big. And with such conviction, it’s not hard to see why.

“I can do anything with my imagination,” says Sonu before signing off.

Sharik, a 13-year-old from the slum of Nayatoli, also in Kolkata, is known for his sheer commitment to football within his neighbourhood. Sharik lives with his mother, sister and brother in a small home. He says he often leaves home early in the morning, even without breakfast, just so that he can play football.

Johny, his coach at Slum Soccer lauds his pure passion for the game and says he has the skills as well as the hunger to learn. Sharik lives and breathes football, playing up to three times daily in a neighbourhood team named ‘Power House’ that he helped form along with his friends. Mentored by an older friend named Kadir, who guides him apart from providing football assistance, Sharik is extremely proud of his football workshop certificate and team photos.

In this touching video, Sharik recounts how he feels proud when he gets respect for playing football, and how everyone in his neighbourhood recognises him as a good footballer. The young boy wishes with a tinge of sadness that his father was around, and believes he would have been proud to see him play football so well. His proud mother believes in him, saying that he will become something great in the future.

In his own words, “Everything is possible, you’ll see.”