The girls’ football team from vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds in the city, who were trained and supported by Karunalaya Social Service Society, reached the semi-finals at the Street Child World Cup in Mexico city. The tournament wrapped up last week, and the girls’ team from Chennai won the awards for fair play and legal identity.

“They played five matches to reach the semi-finals. They played against Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Palestine,” said Paul Sunder Singh, secretary of Karunalaya. “We had to leave one of our players in India because of visa issues, and during the game, another got injured, so she was not able to play in the semi-finals. 

“We have come this far despite the hurdles,” he said. Team captain, 17-year-old V. Pavithra, said that she takes immense pride in the team’s achievement. “Reaching the semifinals among the 30 teams from across the globe itself means a lot to us, even though we worked hard to reach the final.”

“We also attended Congress, where we spoke about our challenges, spending our childhood in streets, listened to players from other countries and spoke about our call for action for street-connected children. All of us who never dreamt of flying, got the opportunity to learn about different cultures and people though this tournament,” she added.