Nokha, a town in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. Dhingsari village is 45 kilometers away from here. Thanks to the daughters of this village, Rajasthan has won the trophy in the Under-17 Girls National Football Championship after 60 years. 12 players of the team playing the final are from this village (Dhingsari).
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Among these daughters, the father of some is a laborer and the father of some graze goats. Parents of some players do farming. Creating history was not easy for these daughters coming from very ordinary families.
There are many shades of struggle, opposition and hard work in this success story. Read the full report..
Became a coach to fulfill father’s dream
It was from the people of the village that Bhaskar team came to know that Vikram Singh had gone to Karnataka with the team. Yes, Vikram Singh… he is the one who has taught the village daughters to play on the field. This is the coach. We spoke to him (Vikram Singh) on phone.
Vikram Singh says- There is a big struggle behind the picture you are seeing today. My native village is Dhingsari. My father Magan Singh Rajvi has been the captain of the Indian football team.
During his tenure as captain, the Indian team played more than 10 international tournaments and won the bronze medal in the sixth Asian Games. Papa is now about 82 years old and lives in Bikaner.
He always had a dream that the village children should become footballers. He also made me a football player. To fulfill this dream of his, I came to the village in 2020.
When Dainik Bhaskar’s team reached Dhingsari village, some villagers were planning to welcome their daughters by sitting in the main square of the village.
Today the whole village is proud of its daughters
We met Uroj Singh Rajvi of the village. He told- The football player who aroused this passion in the village is Vikram Singh Rajvi. Five-six years ago, they did not even find players here.
When he gave the girls boys’ clothes to play, the villagers came out in protest. Then he changed everyone’s thinking and today the entire village is proud of his daughters.
The craze for football is continuously increasing in Dhingsari village of Nokha town of Bikaner. Nearly 200 football players have been formed in the village of 250 houses.
Goat herding children made players
Vikram Singh says- Initially met the families of the village. When I met children and youth, no one was ready to learn football. Despite this I did not step back.
After purchasing 18 bighas of land in the village, he started an academy in the name of his father Magan Singh Rajvi. For a few days I could not find a single player.
After this I decided to teach football to the children grazing goats in the village. I used to take some children from the village to the field on a bike and make them practice football.
Half of the children did not come the next day, even though I was teaching football to everyone for free. Then gradually the children’s interest increased and they started coming. Now some girls also started coming to play football.
Players practicing with football in the field of Dhingsari village of Nokha (Bikaner).
Had trouble playing in suit-salwar
Vikram Singh said- In the beginning we had to face a lot of challenges. Girls had trouble playing football in suits and salwars. Bought players’ dresses for them.
The villagers banned girls from wearing shorts. Vikram Singh says that I myself had to go to each house and convince the family members. After this the family members agreed.
They started sending their daughters to learn football. These daughters also worked hard. Today we have got the result of the trust that the villagers had on me and the hard work that the daughters put in.
With the first rays of the sun the village girls run towards the ground.
Two hundred children practice daily
Vikram Singh will soon return to the village with the team. Preparations are being made to welcome the entire team in the village. Amidst these preparations, we talked to former Sarpanch Raghuveer Singh.
Raghuveer Singh says- When Magan Singh Rajvi was the captain of the Indian football team, there was craze for football in our village also. Later it reduced.
Now his son Vikram Singh Rajvi has revived football here. Now the children and youth of the village play only football in the morning and evening. In this village of two hundred and fifty houses, about two hundred children practice football every day.
This is Uttam Singh, the elder father of team captain Sanju Kanwar Rajvi. He has nurtured Sanju since childhood. They run their household by rearing goats.
Captain Sanju Kanwar’s elder father graze goats
There is a story of struggle behind all the 12 players included in the team. All are from very ordinary families. He achieved this position by working hard between household chores and studies.
Team captain Sanju Kanwar Rajvi’s mother has passed away. Father Manohar Singh is unemployed. Do some farming. Sanju Kanwar was brought up by his elder father (Tau) Uttam Singh. The villagers told us that they graze goats. You will find it near the pond. When we reached there, Uttam Singh was taking the goats.
He is aware of his daughter’s achievements. He said – Whatever is there is the result of his own hard work. Elder mother (Tai) tells that today she was very happy on her victory.
Sanju Kanwar scored a total of eight goals in the entire tournament of Karnataka National Championship. Scored two goals in the final also and was the best player.
Some rooms have been made in the playground, where the players have their necessary items and a place to change.
All the players are from very ordinary families
Raghuveer Singh, father of team player Bhavana Kanwar, does farming. He says- Whatever victory has been achieved today, it is thanks to Coach Saheb.
Team vice-captain Hansa Kanwar’s father Ashok Singh passed away a year ago. The family’s income depends on farming.
Goalkeeper Munni Bhambhu’s father Bhomaram Bhambhu does business. Player Manju Kanwar’s father grazes goats. Similarly, the rest of the players of the team are also from ordinary families.
The team was elated with the Champions Trophy after defeating Karnataka 3-1 on 9 August.
Today 135 girls are learning football
135 girls of Under-14, Under-17 and Under-19 groups are taking training in the academy built in the village. The girls of Dhingsari village have passion for football. Along with studies, she plays football with all her heart.
His dream is to win a medal for the country in the Olympics. A team of 16 players had gone from Rajasthan for this championship. Of these, 12 were from Dhingsari village.
11 players play on the football field. All the 11 players selected to play the final were from Dhingsari. Two of these players got injured on the day of the final. Nisha Sharma of Alwar and Bhanupriya of Sikar were given a chance in their place.
Sarpanch said- Full credit for this achievement goes to the coach.
Sarpanch of the village Dharambir Singh Rajvi said- For the first time this glorious and historic moment has come in our village. The full credit for this goes only to Vikram Singh Rajvi, who started training the children of our village 3-4 years ago and took them to this stage today. Whatever help is required by the Gram Panchayat in this endeavour, is provided by us.
Coach Vikram Singh will now leave his railway job for the team
Coach Vikram Singh, who awakened the passion for football in the village, has also had to face many difficulties. He is the Railway Station Superintendent in Kolayat. Provides free training to village players.
The financial condition of the players’ families is not good. Therefore, we spend half of our salary on them. To impart training to the children, he returns to the village every morning and evening after completing his duty in Kolayat.
Just a few days ago, he was promoted in Bikaner DRM office, but instead of taking promotion, Vikram Singh has decided to leave the job. He has applied for VRS so that he can spend full time in preparing the players.
On October 7, 2017, during the Under-17 FIFA World Cup football competition in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi honored coach Vikram Singh’s father Magan Singh Rajvi.
Coach Vikram Singh’s father is Arjun Awardee
Vikram Singh Rajvi’s father Magan Singh Rajvi was the captain of the Indian football team. Magan Singh Rajvi was a part of the Indian team from 1968 to 1974. In 1973, he was honored with the Arjuna Award.
Magan Singh’s elder brother Chain Singh Rajvi was the vice-captain of the team. He was honored by PM Modi during the Under-17 FIFA World Cup football competition in Delhi on October 7, 2017.
