By Andalib Akhter
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today praised Rais Ahmed, a former national player and coach for making a village in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh a ‘Mini Brazil’
Addressing nation through his Mann Ki Baat programme, PM Modi mentioned the Indians who faced the challenges with extraordinary spirit. When it came to challenges, PM Modi told an inspiring story of a village in India, which is today called Mini Brazil. This village Vicharpur is in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh.
This village is called Mini Brazil. Mini Brazil because this village has become a stronghold of the rising stars of football today. PM Modi had gone to this village on July 1 and met these young players.
Earlier Vicharpur was infamous for illegal liquor. PM Modi said that when he went to this village, he met many young football players there. PM Modi decided that the countrymen and especially the youth should be informed about this village.
The journey of Vicharpur village to become Mini Brazil started two-and-a-half decades ago. At that time Vicharpur was infamous for illegal liquor. He was in the grip of drugs, due to which the youth of the village were suffering the most. Meanwhile, Raees Ahmed, a former national player and coach, says PM, recognized the talent of these youths.
Raees Ahmed did not have the resources, but had the courage. He wholeheartedly started teaching football to the youth and in just a few years football became so famous that the village of Vicharpur started being identified with football.
PM Modi told that now a program called Football Revolution is also going on here. Under this, sports training is given to the youth. The success of this program is known from the fact that more than 40 national and state level players have emerged from Vicharpur. This football revolution is now spreading slowly and 1200 football clubs have been formed in Shahdol and a large area around it.
Many such players have emerged from here, who are playing at national and state level. Many big former football players and coaches are training the youth here. The area which was once infamous for illegal liquor and drugs, has become a football nursery today.
About the village
Vicharpur is a nondescript forested tribal village in Shahdol district. Yet, it has earned a name for producing footballers. Since every house there has a footballer, it is called the mini Brazil of Madhya Pradesh.
The village has produced 45 national footballers. There goes a saying in village – A child is born with a football attached to his legs. The village is home to Gond and Baiga tribe.
It all began when Raees Ahmad, a coach who was training railway team, saw powerful kicks of tribal kids. As he realised that tribal children, who hailed from financially weak families, will not be able to travel to railway playground in Shahdol, he started going to Vicharpur in the evening to train tribal kids. Rest is history.
Two kids from Bicharpur, Yash Baiga and Anidev Singh, aged four and five, respectively, met among 100 footballers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They were the youngest footballers to meet Modi.
At present, Raees Ahmad is now additional director (sports) in school education department in Shahdol division.
Later, Shahdol divisional commissioner Rajeev Sharma spotted the talent in Bicharpur and thought of spreading football in Shahdol district. The sport has become popular in Shahdol district in last two years.
The national players of Bicharpur are now certified football coaches, and they are training new talent in Shahdol division.