News
Dileep, the exceptional footballer and a wage labourer’s son
Dileep is the Son of Daily Wage Labourer Who Is on His Way to Playing Football for India and is guided by Rural Development Trust’s (RDT) Anantapur Sports Academy (ASA).
When life makes us run with hurdles down the lane, some of us fall while some of us decide to jump high and get better; one such dedicated boy comes from the remote area of Kalavapalli in Kodiginahalli, where the nearest sign of civilisation is an hour away from the village in Parigi South of Anantapur District; D. Dileep might at first seem to be a reserved teenager, but he seems to be proving the saying "actions speak louder than words".
Dileep is the son of a daily wage labourer, who, despite being uneducated believed that both his children, Dilip and his elder sister should be educated and supported to follow their dreams. Dileep has emerged as a promising and exuberant footballer due to the support of his parents and the guidance of Rural Development Trust’s (RDT) Anantapur Sports Academy (ASA), which aims at ensuring holistic development of the youth of Anantapur, especially those from underprivileged and marginalized backgrounds, by providing them with quality and sustainable access to sports coaching, infrastructure and equipment, while maintaining focus on education, nutrition and career development.
In 2014, Dileep's spark was recognized by Arun Kumar, a football coach and he invited Dileep to play. The youngster readily agreed and played the first game of his life at the age of 12.
Within no time at all, Dileep fell in love with the game and Kumar, seeing the boy’s potential, began his training. For Dileep, Football training involved practicing after his two-hour commute and his long day at school. His parents’ encouragement and his willingness to learn helped keep him motivated.
Dileep was soon breaking through defenses like a seasoned footballer. Later that year, Dileep played his first ever competitive football game in the inaugural season of the Anantapur Football League 2014-2015. It was here that he was discovered by the ASA Football Academy coaches. On seeing his exceptional performance on the field, the coaches invited Dileep to participate in the F.C. Sant Vicenti Football Summer Camp in May 2015, to help him further polish his skills.
After the summer camp, in June 2015 Dileep was selected to live, train and play football full-time at the Anantapur Sports Village (ASV); he also worked laboriously to complete his education, all of which was being taken care of by ASV.
Dileep’s diligence and perseverance helped him play in three national level competitions which included the U17 National Invitational Tournament in Chandigarh, U14 School Games Federation of India Nationals in Chhattisgarh and the U14 All India Football Federation (AIFF) Nationals in Chennai.
During his time at the ASA, Dileep, along with his teammates, also got the wonderful opportunity to participate in the selection trials for the recently launched Second Division I-League Club, Fateh Hyderabad AFC (FHCH). Dileep’s team maintained an exceptional unbeaten record throughout the league, an achievement made possible thanks to his thrilling performance.
Dileep was also selected to participate in the AIFF U14 camp held in Bhopal, selection in which is believed by many to be indicative of the player’s ability to play for India.
“Dileep has learnt football at an exceptionally fast pace. He has also shown tremendous potential in the past two years. Travelling two hours everyday, from his village to Parigi for his schooling and for football training, is evidence of his commitment and his love for the game. Despite coming from a humble background, he never focused on the negatives in life, and instead, looked for the positive in everything. Dileep has grown a lot since he started playing football; today, he has great dreams and ambitions…. he wishes to represent his country one day!” says a proud P. Vijayabhaskar, the ASA Football Academy Assistant Head Coach.
We're looking forward to Dileep making India proud in many more leagues; Dileep's story is the story of a rising star, where trusts like RDT have presented the world with hidden yet exceptional talents.
Image courtesy: thebetterindia.com