Teen sons of sex workers live football dreams
March 16, 2010, Kolkata
Thirteen-year old Sajjak Ali, the son of a sex worker, dreams to play
football for India one day after he was enthused with with praises for his
performance at the under-14 national football championship in Jamshedpur last
month where he represented Bengal .
Rocky Gayen and Surojit Bhattacharya, both inmates at the home of sex workers'
children at Baruipur in the southern fringe of the city, now also aim to
represent the state.
All three are members of the soccer XI run by Durbar Mahila Samannaya Committee,
an NGO of 65,000 sex workers in West Bengal, as well as residents at the Rahul
Vidya Niketan home who adhere to a strict regimen of morning practice,prayers
and studies at the home.
"We have 14 sex workers' children in the boys team, in the under-12, under-14
and under-16 age categories while the remaining 20 boys hail from a mainstream
background," their coach and former Mohun Bagan player Biswajit Majumder said.
Stating that there was initial opposition to the
football
squad raised a few years ago, he says parents of children have now become more
receptive with other boys also availing the coaching provided by Durbar and
practising side by side with sex workers' children.
Courtesy: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/teen-sons-of-sex-workers-live-football-dreams-17793.php