In an often-divided world, sport acts as glue. Understanding its unique power is the Keshav Suri Foundation and ScoutMe, an app promoted by two young boys Kush (19 years) and Arjun (16 years) to identify the sport talent at the grassroots level.
In a never before move, the Keshav Suri Foundation (KSF), in association with ScoutMe and the Rajasthan Football Association organised India's first ever, all-gender inclusive football match, 'Kicking Gender Boundaries'. The historic tie was played at the Jayshree Periwal International School on November 30, 2019 between 11:00am - 12:00 noon at Jaipur.
This exhibition match was conceived to encourage the participation of trans individuals in the sports arena. As trans players met with school students to battle it out on the field, the hope was to see them represent the country one day.
Manvendra Singh, President of Rajasthan Football Association, was enthusiastic about this endeavour. He said, “Diversity is the source of all the colours that make life more beautiful, enjoyable and enriching. This is the essence of football as well and as responsible football administrators, guided by the vision enunciated by FIFA, we at RFA encourage everyone to enjoy the beautiful game.â€
Ayush Periwal, of Jayshree Periwal International School was proud of hosting and participating in the historic match. “The youth are the changemakers of the future and when I see students like Arjun Pandey and initiatives like ScoutMe, and Keshav Suri Foundation, I know that the world will be a more tolerant and inclusive place. We encourage our students to actively create the change they want,†he said.
Arjun Pandey Co- founder of ScoutMe said, “As a passionate footballer, I want everyone to have a safe space to enjoy and experience the magic of sport. I want this event to be a stepping stone towards uniform inclusion of everyone in not only sports but in all spheres of everyday life.â€
