From Indian slum to world stage
Image: Angelica Ibarra Rodriguez
By Danielle Batist
Raji Ravichandran, 29, is a busy man. Back home in the Indian city of Chennai, he has multiple jobs to support his wife, 7- and 10-year-old daughters and mother. From being an auto (rickshaw) driver by day to delivering water cans around his neighbourhood at night. But however busy his schedule is, he always finds time to play footbal
Every morning from 6 to 8am, Raji is off to the local sports ground to put in two hours of training. He never misses a session. Training is what has kept his dream of becoming a professional footballer alive. And with it, his hope of a better life.
It was a teacher at his school who invited him to Slum Soccer, the nation-wide programme using football to bring about change in the lives of young people living in vulnerable housing. Raji and his family live in an insecure rental home, that they can be evicted from anytime. They moved “more times that I can count” which has been hard on Raji’s daughters in particular, who never know how long they will be in one place.
When Raji heard he was selected to represent his region at the National Inclusion Cup in the city of Nagpur two years ago, he started to believe his opportunity finally had come. The training schedule was intense, but he knew he needed to find a way. “My wife said: ‘I know you love football more, but make sure to find a way to support our family.’ I knew I had to just go for it and take care of the practical problems later.”
Raji made it to the national team: “I cannot say how happy he was.” Unfortunately, the Indian team’s visa problems stopped the team from travelling to Sacramento for the 2023 Homeless World Cup. This year though, he finally got his chance.
Being here in Seoul means a lot to Raji. Back in India, Raji’s family support him from afar. “No one in my entire family has ever travelled out of India before. I call them every day to tell them what happened.”
“It is a very new experience to see all these other countries and cultures and how they play football. I was very overwhelmed at first. I got rejected a lot, but now I am recognised. I can play football internationally. I never thought I would play other countries. This is what I always hoped for.”
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Words: Danielle Batist
Image: Angelica Ibarra Rodriguez