The District Cup
by Mallika Ravikumar and illustrated by Govinda Sao
“The District Cup” by Mallika Ravikumar and illustrated by Govinda Sao. Published by Penguin. A riveting book about the age fraud, rampant corruption and other challenges that are affecting Indian Football.
The U-13 Maulsari Eagles team is gearing up for the District League to be played after two years of pandemic. They are quite talented and have dedicated coaches. However, there are several challenges that they are facing. The protagonist, Prithvi Prakash, a midfielder, has to face stiff opposition from his father who does not want him to spend any time on football be it playing or watching it on TV. Kadambini, a winger, has to face hostility and gender bias from her teammates. Mangya who lives in a tiny shack near the beach wants to play football like his idol Pele but doesn’t have access to training. He keeps requesting coach Siraj Mirza of the Maulsari Eagles to let him join his academy for learning football.
Siraj is fighting his own battles. He has to fight against coaches like Zubair who owns Strikers Football Club and resorts to age frauds to get his team an unfair advantage of size and muscle might to win. Siraj is bent on exposing the corruption that is blatantly rampant in the Maulsari District Football Sanghatan (MDFS) which is being presided over by obnoxious Mamaji and his nephew Gabbar Singh for the last 18 years though it is against rules. There have been no elections for them to get voted. They are involved in rigging the names of players and allowing overage players with fake birth certificates to participate in matches. Siraj and his academy start getting targeted when he tries to protest against the injustice being meted out to the talented children and the future of Indian football. To top it he has his own challenges at home when he finds out that his only child has been diagnosed with autism.
The Eagles have the technique and a fighting nature. But they have so much at stake playing with the older players from Strikers FC. Will they manage to survive? Can they show grit and determination to play a true game of football? Can their technique and mental strength help them in their battle for a fair game? Can their efforts herald a new change in the world of Indian football? Read this unputdownable book to see how the Maulsari Eagles fare in the district cup and what can they do to bring about a change in the rotting system.
My 8.5 year old and I loved reading this book. Given his love for football, he enjoyed the story thoroughly and it gave him an exposure into the world of Indian football and its problems. The plot has been woven beautifully around the characters who will remain memorable after reading. Lots of topics have been introduced throughout the story such as pressures inflicted by parents on their children, gender bias, bullying, corruption and bribery, the vagaries of football association officials, the challenges faced by sports coaches and referees, the unfair tactics resorted to by players and coaches to win a game and the difficulties faced by players to get access to training facilities to name a few. The way the protagonist Prithvi’s character shapes out as the story progresses is delightful.
The strong message to arise, awake and not stop till one’s goal is reached has been portrayed so beautifully. Despite not having much interest in football, I couldn’t resist reading the book and I am glad I did it. The glossary at the end was very helpful for someone like me who didn’t have much of an idea about football terminology. Overall this is a MUST READ story for everyone! There are takeaways for everyone be it a child or an adult. How the ecosystem of fraud and corruption is fed with the parents who desire their child to get a certificate or a trophy for an easy access to university through sports quota or scholarships or just vanity and status even though the child may not be interested in the game or good enough. This leads to the really talented folk losing out their opportunities and leaving the sport eventually :( This also leads to parents of talented children not letting them play a sport due to worries of not being able to make a career out of it given how corrupt the system can be. Also loved the way in which Siraj tirelessly fights for the rights of his players and decides that remaining silent is of no use. The fact that one has to fight for their rights comes out strong and clear.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 12 and above for self reading. However, it can be read to slightly younger children with a little bit of explanation like we did :)
Where to buy from?
An independent bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.
Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India, for review. Thank you to Greeshma and Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!