How YFC Rurka Kalan Is promoting football at the grassroot level in Punjab
Every time one thinks of Indian villages, the same images appear; scratchy roads, green farmlands, and more unemployment. But Rurka Kalan is a village which is in a league of its own. It’s not like any other Indian village. Rurka Kalan has continued to hog the limelight and is yet again back in the news for its relentless contribution to assist village youth in honing the skills required to play football and thus make a career in it.
There is no dearth of football fans or aspiring players in India but basic football infrastructure is simply not good enough to groom young talents, especially at the grassroot levels. Without much assistance coming from elsewhere, YFC-Rurka Kalan has laid a wonderful come a long way to be now counted amongst one of the country’s top football clubs prioritizing youth development and promoting the sport, especially across rural lands. The state of Punjab is fast emerging as football’s new home after West Bengal, Maharashtra and Goa and a lot of credit for that must go to YFC-Rurka Kalan, who are making all the right noises in breeding a football culture.
Brief History of YFC- Rurka Kalan
“In the beginning, everything was small – anonymous”
YFC-Rurka Kalan is the brainchild of Gurmangal Dass, a local resident of the village, who was very upset and concerned due to the rising alcohol and drug consumption in the state with each passing year. Being a concerned and responsible citizen, Dass feared that unless the youth of Punjab are mobilized and channelized, the state wouldn’t prosper anytime soon. And this is how the ball started rolling.
Gurmangal Dass took his desire to change the landscape of Punjab youth forward by founding a football club in 2001, aimed at diverting the attention of youth towards the beautiful game. Silently, he did his bit contributing towards Punjab’s recent success in sports(rise and popularity of JCT) by connecting the Punjab youth to the club asking them to not only participate in football matches in the village but also come out and learn more about the game. After a decade and half of painstaking efforts, the YFC-Rurka Kalan now stands tall as an example of how a good idea with proper implementation can reap the richest rewards.
During the last 15 years, there has been a considerable reduction in the drug consumption among the youth of the state. Large credit must go to YFC’s sincere dedication to make youth realize the downsides of depression and ill habits of intoxication, with a streamlining and guidance helping them on to the right path. Dass even addressed the media saying, “Football is the most powerful weapon in the world to bring about a positive change both economically and psychologically to the lives of the people”. So far that positive change has been more than visible in and around Rurka Kalan.
YFC-Rurka Kalan has also been training girls to learn the nitty-gritty of football, a sport that has always seen the minimal participation of females in India. FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) has not only been appreciative but now also come forward and joined hands for this excellent initiative. The YFC has launched several training programs in association with FIFA to help women football aspirants learn to play the sport better. This, in turn, is promoting gender equality in the village while infusing a much-needed sense of confidence among the women football aspirants. A year back, ace Indian footballer Sunil Chettri on his visit to the YFC beamed with pride and applauded the efforts being taken by YFCRK, especially to rope in the economically weaker sections of the society and empower them through football.
YFC Rurka Kalan – The Success Story
YFC Rurka Kalan has now successfully turned into a famous NGO. The organization imparts fundamental sports knowledge to kids and young children, educating them about the game and also provides them with on ground drills laying a platform to succeed. The organization has its own football ground and training equipment as well. The newly-built football stadium has a sitting capacity of more than 4000 spectators for live matches. Floodlights are also installed for hosting night matches. Players coming from far-flung areas are provided with nutritious food, and lodging facility near the stadium, encouraging more players to chip in.
The success story of YFC-Rurka Kalan has spread up to the macro level from the very micro level. Considering the steady rise in popularity of football in India with each passing year, it must be mentioned that several players have got their tutelage from YFC. Anwar Ali happens to be one of them, having played for the Indian national Football team and also Mumbai FC numerous times. But what not many people know is that Anwar Ali joined YFC Rurka Kalan when he was a little boy looking for an institution to hone his skills. YFCRK was the perfect stepping stone for the player who is today a star footballer. Pretty much mirroring the success story of YFC-Rurka Kalan itself, that has unfolded in the most beautiful way. And as they say, nothing succeeds like success. Here’s hoping that Rurka Kalan’s success motivates and inspires other clubs and football bodies to join in to wake the “sleeping giant” Indian football has been accused of.
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