Pratik Shinde left school when he was just 12-years-old. His father had passed away and the burden of the world were upon his small shoulders, since he was now responsible for running the house with his mother. So he began distributing newspapers. But something kept nudging him – his heart yearned for football.
And so he followed his dream, and landed a football gig with a local Mumbai football academy. Soon, he went on to play international tournaments before joining the Houston Hurricanes.
There are many children like Pratik who have found their calling in football. It is a sport that unites all as it transcends barriers. However, the sad truth is that not many get to live Pratik’s dream, since there are so many constraints – mainly financial along with the lack of opportunities.
The Delhi Youth Football Academy (DYFA) creates opportunities for such children at the grassroots level, and provides them with a platform to train, learn and grow.
“The sport is developing its craze in India with a tremendous speed. We see a lot of talent in our country, but for some reason or the other kids are unable to channelize it as they don’t get many opportunities.”
But due to financial constraints they find it difficult to provide for all the young talent coming their way.
“We all want to see our nation’s superstars dominating European players, and we all know that our players are capable of that!”
They plan to use their funds for imparting professional training, maintaining training grounds, acquiring good equipment, gear and more.
Help these kids live their dreams today. Donate for this wonderful cause!