Game for life

During a sweltering summer, Oasis India has been running sports camps across Chennai. Through football, volleyball and cricket young boys and teenagers have learnt new skills and lessons about life. The action packed month culminated in a record breaking marathon relay!

Fun and joy
The camps are called ‘Injabulo’, meaning joyful in Afrikaans. “We want the boys to have fun during their holidays. Some of them have already had a lot to cope with”, says Rebecca Swamickan, who oversees Oasis India’s work in Chennai. Most of the 400 boys who attended the football, cricket and volleyball camps come from slum communities and surrounding areas.

Sivaraj is 14 and this is the first time he’s had football coaching. His parents are dead and he and his brothers and sister live with his aunt. He makes caps from 9.30am until 7pm, Monday to Saturday.

Despite his long working hours, Sivaraj has been enthusiastic about the training. ‘Every day I am getting better. I want to spend every Sunday playing football with my friends,’ he says. And he wants to study more. ‘If I had studied I could have a big dream but I didn’t have the chance. So I want to somehow get a basic education and go into the police.’

Energy and enthusiasm
The camps have sparked a passion for sport. Jayaprakash is 15 and says, ‘It’s not too hot (to play). I have to play cricket!

‘My aim is to play for the Indian team but if I don’t get the chance I want to play for Tamil Nadu and if not I want to coach boys like me.’ This is the first time he has had coaching, and already he’s dreaming big, and thinking about how he can use his new knowledge to help others.

The coaches for the sports camps came from Christian Sports Fellowship. One Football coach Muthu says, ‘There is a lot of talent here. My vision is that there will be many who go on to play for the state and for India.’

More than a game
Like Sivaraj, Muthu’s parents died when he was young. He grew up in a hostel and his passion for the game began while watching the 1986 World Cup. Now, as well as volunteering for CSF, he plays professionally for Tamil Nadu. Last season he was the top scorer of the season and has captained the state side for 4 years on the trot.

The boys say that the coaching is teaching them team work, unity, respect for their team mates and understanding. Muthu says of football, ‘I have learnt a lot of discipline and it has turned my character around. You can use the lessons in football right through to the very end.’

Record breakers
As a grand finale to the month, 187 boys took part in a record breaking marathon relay, with a few of the Bangalore Yellows participating. The record of 1:46:25 was set by Oasis UK. India broke it by 5 seconds Not bad considering most of the boys were under 12 and many weren’t even wearing shoes.

The look of pure joy on the boys’ faces when they beat the record made all the hard work that the Chennai team had put into planning the event worthwhile.