TheSportsCampus

There aren't many moments in India when football is used as a medium for social goodwill, but one such moment came on Saturday at the St. Columba's School in New Delhi. Vikash Dhorasoo, the only player of Indian origin to have played in the Football World Cup, and Indian star Renedy Singh led teams consisting of street children. The match was played to kick start a talent hunt programme amongst street children called the DSC Soccer Balak ki Khoj, organized by the London based charity Consortium for Street Children.

Dhorasoo's side may have gone on to win 5-0, but anyone who witnessed the match could see that it wasn't about winning. All the kids, the twenty who were lucky enough to have taken to the pitch, and the numerous others who seemed more than content to be spectators, were the winners today. The moment that best described the spirit of the game came towards the end. With Dhorasoo XI leading 4-0 at the time, Renedy XI got a free kick right at the edge of the penalty area. As some of his players moved away from the ball expecting Renedy to take the kick, the Indian Vice Captain encouraged one of them to have a go instead. The kick went well over the bar, but Renedy went right up to the boy and patted him on the back, telling him not to be disappointed.That boy is definitely going to remember this day forever, not scoring a goal won't change that.

Dhorasoo, the star attraction of the day, fittingly scored the final goal of the game, and the delight it brought to the kids showed just how sport can be used to bring a smile on the face of the underprivileged. Right after the match the kids thronged Dhorasoo, almost jumping on him as he sat at the hospitality tent, wanting to be a part of the pictures that the media and some of the people there were taking. Dhorasoo was all smiles, and there's no doubting that he was glad to be a part of their precious moment.

"I'm not here to find the next Zidane, I'm here for the street children," said Dhorasoo, speaking in English with a thick French accent. "I hope that one Indian player would be soon play in the French League."

Dhorasoo's desire to see his grandfather's country do well in football is well known around the World. Soon after retirement he contacted FIFA to join their "Win in India with India" project that's modeled along the lines of a similar project carried out by FIFA in Africa. And he made it clear that he'd be more than willing to help if he's asked to.

"I'm not here to start something. I'm here on a private trip, and I enjoy my football. I'm available, if you want some help to with the Indian Federation."

The Indian connect with Dhorasoo may be generations old, but he still has a place in his heart for the country of his roots. When asked how "Indian" does he feel, he spoke of how his upbringing was a mix of French, Mauritius (the country of his parents) and Indian cultures, and his love for Bollywood, and curry masala.He could even hum the song "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy" from the movie "Disco Dancer" and named "Bole Chudiye" as one of his favourites.

Dhorasoo (who we would be interviewing soon) has some lofty expectations from Indian football, and hopes not only to see them play in the World Cup in the future but also to host the event some time. Events such as today's would definitely go a long way in meeting those expectations, so let's hope this match won't be a one-off and we'd see more and more international players (Michael Chopra, perhaps?) making a visit to the country to lend us a hand.