Rosary footballers converts school basement into a practice ground

Rosary High School (Mazgaon) played some good, close-knit football to beat Anjuman-I-Islam Allana (CST) 2-0 in a Nike-MSSA under-16 football match at Azad Maidan yesterday.

Later, they revealed the secret to their success. The footballers practice in the school basement as they have no ground of their own. The Oval Maidan, which they used to frequent, has been shut for maintenance during monsoons.



Requests to other schools to let them use their grounds, fell on deaf ears. That's when coach Bernard Alphonso decided to train the boys in the basement. The boys play a unique, shortened but fast brand of football in the tiled basement. "We play six-a-side matches, while I try and rotate the players continuously so that all get a chance to play," said Alphonso.

Playing in the restricted area may have taught the boys short passes and quick-thinking, but there are limitations too. "The boys can't raise the ball, and teaching them throw-ins is impossible. Also, having practised with canvas shoes, adapting to studs during matches is not easy," added Alphonso.