'Brother, buy us a football': How an innocent plea led to the birth of a village team in Malappuram

The Malabar region of Kerala, known as the mecca of football, has a deep-rooted love for the beautiful game. From children kicking worn-out balls on dusty grounds to elders passionately debating tactics and players, football runs through everyday life here, so much so that even election promises made in the name of the game cannot be ignored.

It was this devotion to football that made a group of young boys make an innocent request to a candidate campaigning for the recent local body election to the Parappanangadi Municipality.

CPM candidate Unnikrishnan Kelanchhankandi, campaigning in the Puthenpeedika ward, noticed a group of boys aged between 10 and 15 standing by a battered, almost lifeless football. Their sullen faces glanced at the ball that would never roll. 

The children spotted Unnikrishnan and went running towards him, with an earnest appeal: "Brother, you should buy us a football."

Unnikrishnan was taken by surprise, but he promised them a football and jerseys if he won the election. He jokingly told the boys to give him details such as names, ages and phone numbers of those who need jerseys.  

The former Kerala Water Authority official resumed his campaign and was about to enter the fourth house after meeting the children when a chorus of voices calling out "chetta" made him stop. He saw the boys- all 22 of them- running towards him, one clutching a piece of paper.

Their faces, Unnikrishnan recalled, were lit with hope. Panting, the boys handed him the paper and said, "Chetta, this is the list of all 22 of us for printing the jerseys."

"It was handwritten by the children themselves," Unnikrishnan told Onmanorama. "All 22 names were written in different handwriting. That gesture truly surprised me, and at that moment I made up my mind that I would fulfil their dream," he added. 

Unnikrishnan went on to win the election and kept his promise. "I wanted to do this for them," said Unnikrishnan, an athlete himself and a passionate football lover.

"Yesterday, we distributed jerseys and footballs to the children in collaboration with our club, Gramika Pallippuram," Unnikrishnan said. He added that a football team named Gramika FC has also been formed to carry the initiative forward.

Unnikrishnan said he understood that it was the children's love for the game that had drawn them to him during the campaign.  

Gramika Pallippuram president A V Jithu Vijay said a football coaching camp would be organised at Parappanangadi BEM High School ground during the summer holidays. "Unnikrishnan helped the children secure a ground to play. Such efforts should continue," Jithu Vijay said. "The coaching camp will help them improve their skills. Later, they can be guided to compete in major tournaments," he added.

Unnikrishnan also plans to introduce athletics coaching in the area. "There are many children here, and they need exposure to sports. We will do everything within our capacity to help them nurture their talents," he said. 

He added that children living in the coastal areas of Parappanangadi require immediate attention. "The children there have strong willpower and natural athletic abilities. With proper coaching and facilities, they can one day play for our country and bring glory to our land," he said.

Unnikrishnan spoke with conviction about his dream of contributing to sports development in his locality. "Just the other day, a woman from another part of this ward called me and said similar initiatives should be taken up for their children as well. That is what gives me hope," he said.

Unnikrishnan's confidence, according to Jithu, comes from years of association with sports clubs such as Gramika and Walkers, and from organising several initiatives under their banners. More importantly, the children have now got a new beginning- and the residents a renewed belief that small promises, when kept, can create lasting change.