KOCHI: Running around in black shorts and brown jerseys to pick up the ball straying from the football ground are the inmates of Sneha Bhavan Orphanage. With ambition all over their tiny faces, they have already marked their presence felt at Maharaja’s Stadium Ground where ‘Goal 2012’, inter-collegiate football tournament organised by The New Indian Express, is being held. They hope to make it big in football one day.“I watch Messi whenever there is a football game on television. When most of them are interested in watching movies, I prefer a football match,” said Wilfred, 11, from Palakkad. And, as he watches the team in action at ‘Goal 2012’, he wistfully adds, “One day, I wish to play at the national-level.”A team of six, each from a group of 25, take turns every day to play the ball boys. The inmates are being trained in football so as to soften their unruly nature. According to Sunny Joseph, director of Sneha Bhavan, the boys need to play a sport so that they can develop their personality.“Somu,11, who is at present captaining the football team at our institution hails from Karnataka. He was a ‘wanderer’, who was brought to our institution by a policeman who found him on a train. We hope to train him in football so that he can reach great heights,” Sunny Joseph said. "Some of them were brought to us at a young age. And, as we train a few of them, we realise that they have a big future ahead,” said Sunny. When some want to be captains and coaches of the Kerala team, a few have different ideas. “I don’t want to dedicate my entire life to football. I love the sport, but I want to join the police,” said Akash, 11, with a shy smile.
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