‘Football for Change’, an initiative by Stairs, involves mass participation of underprivileged youth in the various parts of the country. The latest initiative of this was programme was held in the capital at the Mini Football Ground of the Yamuna Sports Complex. The event was held under its Uflex Khelo Dilli Programme which saw the participation of around 90 underprivileged youth of the city.
Siddartha Upadhyay founder and secretary general of Stairs, felt that the move was to tap the talent of the underprivileged children. The whole exercise is to unearth the talent in these children. “We at Stairs have been doing this for many years now and I am confident that many a youngster from this programme will go on to represent India in the future,” said.
Siddhartha, who is a businessman, said that sport had taught him discipline and that is what he wanted to impart to the youngsters. “I am sure that discipline is something which we all require and one profits a lot from this trait. We like to convey his message in our football for change programmes which hare held in various parts of the country,” he said.
Siddhartha also said that Stairs was providing free footballs and kits. “We at Stairs believe in providing free footballs and kits to the children. We do it free of cost, as the only thing which I want to see is that youngsters take to the sport. That’s all I want,” he asserted.
More than 5,000 children across the city are regularly playing free of cost at Uflex Stairs centres which have been established near the colonies where these children reside. Stairs regularly organises various competitions at these centres to identify talent and provide training and sports scholarships to talented youth. “Football for Change’ is Stairs’ first football championship aimed at inculcating the spirit of competition among youth.”
The Chief Guest for the occasion was Sh. Anil Choudhary, MLA, Patparganj Vidhan Sabha presented the trophy and the winning amount to the winning team.