There's a reason for football to be called 'the beautiful game'

I’ve been writing about football for close to three years now and it’s always been about the world-class players, end to end matches, high-voltage transfers and everything else a football fan would think about.

However, a small bunch of players in a children’s home in North Bangalore have helped me realize that there is so more to the beautiful game.

Warming up with a game of monkey in the middle

Living Hope Children’s Home is an organisation committed to providing opportunities for underprivileged children to develop into successful citizens through a mix of innovative educational, social and sport related programs.

On Saturdays, I show up at their football field – an uneven, thirty meter expanse with two crooked goal-posts. There is no fancy equipment, no rapt audience but here football is played like its meant to be.

Prabhakar doesn’t quite clear five feet but his tenaciousness would put even Steven Gerrard to shame. Arjun is the commanding goal-keeper and when he lunges to save, not many get past him. Vinod is a rock at the back and brings the ball out of defence just like Rio Ferdinand would in his prime.

When I started coaching and playing with the Living Hope kids at the suggestion of their co ordinator Dhiraj, the first few sessions were awkward and the players less than enthusiastic. I am not sure, but possibly they have reason to be cynical about promises made and not kept.

This hour-and-a-half was their ‘free time’ and understandably, they did not want to commit it to a complete stranger who was not much older than them.

It has been more than a year now and rain or shine, the players are on the field, ‘kitted up’, in whatever we have managed to raise, and raring to go. At the end of 90 minutes, we are all muddy, sweaty, tired and exhilarated. I still don’t speak fluent Kannada or Tamil but the nod of approval and high-fives at the end of a match is all the communication we need.