CHENNAI: The lengths to which physical education teachers in government schools go to give "exposure" to their children, most of whom are underprivileged, can be astounding. Several go out of their way to help the kids, and such stories are dime a dozen in the State.
The recently concluded Chennai Kaalpandhu League (CKL), a grassroots football tournament for Under-13 kids from government schools, too, was witness to such efforts from the physical education teachers.
N Palani (59), the physical education teacher of the government school in Andarkuppam, Tiruvallur district, about 40-odd kilometres from Chennai, wanted his students to be part of the tournament for the exposure. He is due for retirement in over a year, but that didn't dwindle this former state-level boxer's enthusiasm to give exposure to the kids of the government school.
"On learning about Chennai Kaalpandhu League (CKL), I got in touch with the organisers and learned that there was a lateral entry too. I arranged for a bus out of my money to take the children to Chennai and play in the league. Our boys did not qualify for the finals, but it is important they get such exposure," Palani told DT Next.
The fifth edition of Chennai Kaalpandhu League concluded on Saturday (Sept. 13) with the students of Government Higher Secondary School, Kuthambakkam emerging winners in both boys and girls (Under-13 category) among the 43 government schools that participated. Indian cricketer T Natarajan and national record holder in 10-m air rifle shooting, Narmada Nithin Raju, were the chief guests at the finals.
The PET of the Kuthambakkam government school, which won CKL, too, talks of the exposure these children got from the tournament, which they do not get otherwise. "This is the first time our kids played at JN Stadium. They were enthusiastic about playing in a proper stadium. We have to show them the possibilities," said D Thiyagarajan (47), PET of Kuthambakkam government school.
Even in the league stages (Sept 8-12), the matches were played in a full-length football pitch at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) ground, Nehru Park, with professional referees.
The Chennai Kaalpandhu League, which is a CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiative of Latentview Analytics, a global data analytics company, does not start and end with the annual tournament. It is a comprehensive football development programme for underprivileged children where FIFA-accredited and SDAT-certified coaches train children (under-13) after school.
"Those with enthusiasm for the sport are picked and usually given intensive training sessions for at least two months before the actual tournament. We also provide them with nutrition support," said a representative of Latentview.
Apart from the tournament itself, about 20 players will be selected to continue their football journey for the next two years, supported by LatentView's Regional Development Centre (RDC), where professional coaches from Chennaiyin FC will mentor them.
"At LatentView, we believe sport has the power to transform lives. The Chennai Kaalpandhu League is not just about football. It is about creating pathways for underprivileged students to pursue their passions. We already have 30 players being coached through our RDC with Chennaiyin FC, and we are excited to add more talent this year," Pramad Jandhyala, LatentView co-founder, said.