Kolkata, June 29 (IANS) A team comprising 16 promising children of sex workers is scheduled to fly to Denmark to take part in a football tournament.
The Durbar Mahila Samannay Committee, a cooperative of sex workers which runs the Durbar Sports Academy, have chosen the 16 talents to attend the 'Dana Cup'.
The tournament is one of the world's largest football competitions in the world. It is held every year in the North Jutland town of Hjorring in July end.
First held in 1982, the tournament celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006.
In a bid to generate funds to facilitate the children's trip, the committee has also organised a charitable programme which will be attended by former footballers Dipendu Biswas and Mehtab Hossain. Popular singers Somlata Acharya, Rupam Islam and Sidhu will also be present at the event scheduled for Thursday.
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This is the first time in Indian sports history that children of sex workers have been invited to play at the International Youth Football tournament.
"We are leaving for Denmark on July 21. The tournament starts from July 25 and will continue till July 30," Biswajit Majumder, who is closely linked to the team, told IANS.
"We have not got as many sponsors as we had hoped for. We are still trying. The team will have 16 players, one coach, a manager and two officials."
--IANS
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