Can you imagine playing a football match without the sound of referee’s whistle or players shouting and screaming to their team-mates to pass the ball? That’s exactly what was at display at the Krida Vikas Sanstha organised football tournament for the deaf participants during its DeafKidz Goal! Project. Slum Soccer, as it is known all around the world, conducted one of its kind tournament in partnership with Deafkidz International UK to train a group of deaf coaches to deliver life skills and football lessons to deaf children and youth in sign language. The programme aimed to empower deaf children, improve their awareness on various social issues, safeguarding, rights, health, and education and providing them a platform to develop their self-confidence.

 

DeafKidz Goal Team of Slum Soccer reached various communities in Nagpur and started engaging the deaf youth and children through educational football activities in playgrounds close to the communities while maintaining COVID safeguards. The tournament, held on artificial turf of Diversity Pitch, Bokhara, Nagpur saw 29 deaf youth and children (aged between 13-20 years) from Hingna, Kalamna, Reshimbagh, Pardi, Kalmeshwar, Gittikhadan, Kanhan and Naari congregate to play their first-ever football tournament. All rules and instructions were demonstrated and communicated in the sign language by an expert interpreter of Indian Sign Language (ISL) and deaf coaches. All the hearing persons officiating as referees and table officials were also given a crash course in ISL which enabled them to communicate effectively and ensure smooth conduct of the games.

 

The final of the tournament saw a match played between the (Slum Soccer’s DeafKidzGoal project teachers and the students (deaf participants). The match saw vigorous football and counter attacking, with fast moves and powerful shots. Though the deaf team lost the match 1-2, they won the hearts of all spectators. Krida Vikas Sanstha (Slum Soccer)’s founder Prof Vijay Barse graced the occasion and encouraged the deaf children and youth to excel in their endeavors despite facing the difficulties. He promised them that Slum Soccer will continue its efforts towards uplifting and enabling the deaf community as well as create pathways for their development and integration in mainstream society.